Back to Paradise
by wolfhorsegurl3
Summary: The world had restarted and is now back on its feet. Kiba and Toboe have managed to stick together, and with the help of a she-wolf named Emerald they get the pack back together and find Cheza. Will she be able to stop herself from falling for Kiba AND Tsume? And will they all be able to make it to Paradise?
1. Chapter 1

The weather was kind of chilly, and to make it worse there was a breeze. It blew back my curls and bit at my face, freezing my nose and cheeks. I kept my head down as I walked through the city, trying to shelter my face from the cold. Everything was covered except my face. Black skinny jeans covered my legs, black heel boots covered my feet, a lime green v-neck and a black leather jacket covered my top, my brown curls covered my ears and neck. But what shielded my face from the cold? Nothing.

The sound of running footsteps snapped me from my bitter thoughts of the cold. I looked up to see a teenage boy running through the crowd. I tried to move out of the way but the sidewalk was only so big. The boy ended up barreling into me, sending us both tumbling onto the hard concrete, both of us yelping. I looked up, growling and about to push the kid off of me when I realized he wasn't just human. He was wolf. A brown shaggy wolf with bracelets. My growl turned into a smile of surprise. How pleasant to see another wolf. Apparantly he felt the same way, because he smiled too.

"I'm so sorry." came a voice that then snatched the young boy off me. "Toboe you gotta be watch where you're going."

I looked over to see an older guy, his hand outstretched to help me up. I gladly took it, his hand warm against my cold one. I couldn't help but notice that he was pretty hot. He had this shaggy black hair that contrasted greatly against his pale skin. He was wearing jeans and a jacket, but I could tell he had a lean muscle build to him. But then I noticed his eyes. They were a startling bright green, just like mine. And he wasn't just a human, just like me. His fur was as white as snow. Just like mine. He seemed to be just as shocked as I was, because we both just stood there for a moment, eyes wide and jaws dropped.

"Well, sorry about that miss. But we gotta go." And with that Toboe gave a tug on the other man's jacket.

His words seemed to snap us of our shock. "Right, well, I'm Kiba." the man said. His voice was deep and velvety. It send shivers down my spine.

I smiled, offering my hand for him to shake. "I'm Emerald. It's..it's nice to meet you two."

He looked down at my hand and smirked, as if my gesture amused him. "I have a better idea, why don't you come back to my place for some coffee. Isn't that what the humans do?" He looked down at my hand again. "You seem to have become quite comfortable with their ways.

I suddenly felt embarrassed, a red color tainted my cheeks. "Yea, well, that's what happens when you get adopted by humans." Did I really just admit that to this stranger?

He didn't seem to mind, but Toboe's eyes lit up. "You were raised with humans too?"

I looked down at the kid. "Looks like we have something in common already."

Kiba started walking, and both of us followed. "So, where were you heading before knuckle head bumped into you?" he asked, playfully nudging Toboe's shoulder.

I smirked. "No where important, just home."

"Won't your parents be looking for you?" Toboe asked.

I looked away from him, as if the sidewalk suddenly interested me. "No. I moved out already."

"Well how old are you? You don't look old enough to be out on your own yet."

"I'm nineteen. And for the record kid, age doesn't define when a person can go out on their own. "

"Well than what does?"

I sighed, looking at Toboe again. "Do you always ask this many questions?"

"Yes." Kiba replied with a roll of his eyes.

I smirked, then finally answered his question. "It's different for everyone, but you'll know when you're ready."

"Hey, before you and Kiba start talking, have you seen another wolf? He's grey, with a scar on his chest. He's really tall when he's disguised as a human, he has grey hair, wears black leather and black sunglasses. He rides a motorcycle, likes to run gangs."

I smirked. "Trust me, kid. I would definitely remember if I seen a guy like that."

Toboe just wrinkled his nose at me. "Sorry about that." Kiba said. "He thinks we have a pack and everything and he keeps insisting that we go find the rest of them."

I looked over at him, my gaze questioning. "And you don't remember any of them?"

He shook his head. "No..."

"But there's something, isn't there. Something just out of reach that you know is there but you can't remember? Like you're missing something."

His eyes met mine, the same expression reflecting in them. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Toboe stop walking to watch us, his eyes shining with hope. "You don't think...it's..."

Kiba's eyes lit up, they got this foreign look of desire, loss, and duty. "Paradise." The word sent shivers through all of us, we could feel it. "I think it is."

"I think we need to go find the pack." Toboe chimed in.

"And Cheza." Kiba's voice was thick with devotion. Cheza obviously was special to him.

"Wait, why do you thinbk it's paradise?" I just had to ask. Why were they so convinced it was paradise? It could just be memory loss.

But the look in Kiba's eyes told he wasn't lying, and neither was Toboe. "Because we went there. We went to find it."


	2. Chapter 2

I sat down on the little blanket Toboe had managed to steal on the way here. Their "home" was an old abandoned apartment building on the outskirts of Freeze City. Even though it was old and a little dilapidated it still looked nice. And hey, the carpet was still soft enough to lay down on.

"You never had any coffee, did you?" I asked, putting my hands in my jacket pockets.

Toboe started laughing. "Of course not! Kiba hates being in his human form, but I think drinking coffee might kill him!"

I smirked, shaking my head. "You just wanted to take to me about Paradise."

I could tell Kiba didn't like lying to me, because the entire way here he wouldn't meet my eyes. "Yeah." Finally, he looked up at me. "I had to talk to you. You're a wolf, like us. The more of us there are the easier it will be to get to Paradise."

My eyes went wide. Kiba sounded like a mad man. He was crazy! "Kiba, Paradise isn't real! You seriously can't be thinking about going to find it?"

"Why not? We almost succeeded last time, we can do it again!"

"Almost? Almost?" The world restarted because of him? This was who I owed my thanks to for making the world better again? "Well thanks, but the world's new now, so even if Paradise is real we don't need it now."

"If? How can you think it's not real? You're a wolf! Paradise if your home!"

I stood up, ready to leave. "No, Freeze City is my home." My voice was thick was lies. I hated Freeze City. Not for the city itself anymore, but the people. I didn't belong with them, but Paradise wasn't real, so where else did I have to go?

"Can't you smell the lunar flowers?" Kiba's voice was no longer loud and angry. It was hurt, confused. He sounded disappointed.

I could feel my eyes watering up so I turned my back to them. These wolves sounded so sure that Paradise was real. But they were wild wolves, they were never taught that Paradise was a fairy tale. Being raised by humans, I practically had the wolf nurtured out of me. And I had learned to not believe in fairy tales at a young age.

"No, I can't smell the lunar flowers." I had meant for my voice to come out cold as steel and harsh, accusing. But it was just barely an ashamed whisper.

"What kind of wolf are you?" Exclaimed Toboe in shock, but I could hear the disgust in his young voice. "What kind of wolf can't smell the lunar flowers?"

I didn't stick around to hear if he had anything else to say. I had already ran out the door, tears streaming down my face. But no matter how far I ran, Toboe was right. What kind of wolf was I? I didn't even believe in Paradise? I was so confused. Paradise was a fairy tale, but it was part of me. I was a wolf, shouldn't I believe in it? Next thing I know my feet are getting all tangled up and I trip onto my hands and knees. Suddenly hands grab me and pull me to my feet. Through the blur of my tears I can see it's Kiba. He pulls me in and wraps his arms around me.

"You're okay. Don't listen to Toboe, he's young. He doesn't know any better."

"But he's right. What kind of wolf am I? That I don't believe in Paradise?"

"A lost one." He holds me out at arms length and looks me in the eyes, his sincere and caring. "But don't worry, we'll help you. We'll bring you to Paradise, we'll bring you home."

"Right now." I say suddenly, pulling away from his grip and wiping away my tears. "Prove to me that Paradise is real. I want to get this over with. If you're lying, I don't want my time to be wasted."

He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "Fine. It could be dangerous."

I smirk. "I'll be able to handle it. I did grow up in Freeze City after all."

I look up at the big looming building that is the Freeze City Science Center. "Cheza's in there?" I ask, raising my eyebrows expectantly.

"Yes, now come on. We'll go in as janitors so they won't call their cops on us."

'Their Cops.' Right, because we weren't human, we didn't have to listen to authorities. Yea, I wish.

"Fine, but you're pushing the cleaning cart. I refuse to touch that thing." I grumble as we walk in.

The lady at the front desk gives us a questioning glance but otherwise says nothing. We just walk in, like it's nothing. I keep expecting someone to stop and question us, but no. Nobody even glances at us. Weird. Kiba seems to know exactly where he's going.

"You've been here before?"

"Once, but not in this part of the building. I'm following my nose."

I just nod. Maybe my nose is broken. It takes us a long time to reach the lab where "Cheza" is. We grab a cart from outside the door and wheel it in. The scientists in their white lab coats look up at us, then grab their things and file out. Kiba instantly drops the cart, hypnotically walking forward, his eyes glazed over a little. I follow his gaze and my knees go weak when I realize what's in the tank. A girl. Could it be Cheza?

Kiba places his hands on the tank, and suddenly the girl's eyes flicker open. They're red. I gasp, taking a step back. The girl smiles and tries to touch Kiba's hand through the glass, but her hands are chained.

"We need to get her out of here." Kiba says, not taking his eyes off the girl.

I walk over to a desk in front of her tank. Buttons line the enitre table, some with words some without. A glowing blue one catches my eye, and after taking a deep breath I press it. No alarms sound, nothing goes out of wack. But the solution in the girl's tank starts to drain out. The girl coughs and gasp as air reaches her lungs. Her chains break from the sudden pull of her weight and she falls to the bottom of the tank, breaking the glass. Kiba catches her, ignoring the glass that shatters down around them. I rush over, heart pounding.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" The girl's red eyes travel away from Kiba and over to me. I get goosebumps.

"This One is alright." says her high angelic voice. "This One does not recognize you. You are new to This One."

The girl reaches out to touch my cheek, the smell of the most amazing flower reaches my nose. As soon as she touches me my eyes go wide and I sink to my knees. Her touch sends a thousand lightning bolts tipped with pleasure ripping through me, making me gasp. I don't know how, or why, but I suddenly know this girl is Cheza. Something deep inside me rises to the surface, an ancient calling to stay with this girl, to stay with Kiba and Toboe. To find Paradise. This amazing shocking feeling brings tears to my eyes. I can't make myself look away from Cheza, but when I speak I'm speaking to Kiba.

"It's Cheza."

I can hear the smirk in his voice. "I knew you weren't too far lost."


	3. Chapter 3

"So now how are we supposed to get her out of here?" I asked, poking my head out the door.

"There's a fire escape door down the next hallway." He replied, walking up behind me with Cheza still in his arms.

"You know an alarm goes off when you open it, right?" I looked over my shoulder at him to see his confused expression. "Well, we're gonna have to be quick. I'll go down to the next hallway to make sure no one's there. Stay here until I give the signal."

"What's the signal going to be?"

I smirk. "The alarm." I say over my shoulder as I walk out.

It takes me a few seconds to reach the next hallway. I look around the corner and it's empty. I walk down to the door, take a deep breath, and push it open. Red lights start to flash and the alarm blares all through the building. Kiba's beside me before anyone can even walk out of the other labs. We run out the door and into the dark street.

"This way." Kiba shouts over the alarms and then runs right.

"Kiba! The main roads are over there! We can't go that way, cops will be crawling all over the streets! We need to take the back alleys!"

He looks back at me and sighs, like he's annoyed, before following me down the alleys. I know these streets like the back of my hand and I easily guide him through the shadowed alleys. All of the sudden a man jumps down in front of me. He's tall and lean, but really muscular under his black leather. He has short cropped gray hair, though he looks like he's in his early twenties, with a tiny pony tail in the back. He has these entrancing amber eyes...and a scar on his chest. I hear Kiba stop only a footstep behind me and I look back at him.

"This looks like the guy Toboe told us about."

Kiba just nods, keeping silent. The other wolf looks us over, Cheza especially, like he recognizes her. He takes a few steps closer, a smirk turning up the corners of his lips and desire in his eyes. "She yours?" he asks Kiba, pointing to me.

"She doesn't belong to anybody." Kiba says, emotionless.

"Well she's about to become mine." The other wolf takes a step towards me and reaches for my arm.

"Tsume, stop." Kiba says, stepping in between us.

Tsume looks over at Kiba, confusion etched in his face. "How do you...?" He looks down at Cheza, taking a small sniff, then looks up at Kiba again. "Kiba! You got Cheza again!"

Kiba smiles. "And Toboe."

"Toboe? How's the runt doing?"

"Good, he's been trying to find you guys."

"Still haven't found Hige and Blue?"

"No."

Tsume returns his gaze to me. "Who's this then?"

Kiba looks over his shoulder at me, locking his green eyes with mine. _You can trust him. _"That's Emerald. We found her earlier today."

I cross my arms, one eyebrow raised. "Found me? Toboe ran into me."

Tsume chuckles. "Sounds like something the runt would do. So have you always lived in Freeze City?"

I nod.

"Strange, I've never seen you around."

"It's a big city."

He doesn't have an answer to that so he just shrugs and continues talking to Kiba as we go back to his house. "I think I know where we can find Hige and Blue. I was making my rounds yesterday on the east side of the city and I smelt them. It was late though so I thought I would go find them another time."

"We'll go tomorrow, first thing in the morning. We need to get out of here."

"Doesn't the world need to be, like, ending for Paradise to appear?"

They look back at me before returning their gaze ahead of them. "The world will run itself into destruction sooner than you think." Tsume says with a snort, as if I'm just an ignorant pup.

"Okay well you two have fun. I'm going home for the night."

They stop walking this time and turn to face me. "We're probably leaving by tomorrow afternoon." Kiba says.

"I'll be able to find you."

"It's late though. Where's your house?" Tsume asks.

"I have an apartment on the south side of town." I reply uneasily.

Tsume's eyes go wide. "South side? Why the hell do you live on the south side of town? That's crime central over there!"

"I know."

"You can't go over there this late. Have you ever been outside this time of night."

"Only once." I say, shuddering at the horrible memory.

"And it was horrifying, wasn't it?"

I nod silently.

"So you're coming with us."

"No, I'm not. I just met you all today. And though I don't think you'll try anything, I'm not spending the night on the outskirts of town with a group of boys."

"You can't honestly think that we'll-"

"I don't know. Which is exactly why I'm sleeping at my own place."

Tsume and Kiba exchange glances. "Then Tsume can walk you home. He can protect you."

Protect? I don't need anyone to protect me, but I don't argue, even though I trust Tsume the least. "Fine. I'll see you in the morning Kiba. Bye Cheza."


	4. Chapter 4

Tsume walked by my side, silent and closed off. "Why the hell do you live over here again?"

I pulled my jacket tighter around me, hiding from the chill of the night and Tsume's intense gaze. "When I was five my real parents were killed. Nobody knows how, but I was adopted by a couple here in the city. About a year ago they found out I was wolf." I look down at my feet, biting my lip. "They were so scared of me..." The memory of that horrible night brings tears to my eyes.

"Humans hunted us for a reason." Tsume says, his voice harsh, like I should of known they would turn their backs on me. His voice changes at his next words, it's softer. "You've got us now, you don't need them."

I looked over at him, smiling ever so slightly. "Yea, I guess. Listen, thanks for walking me home."

"No problem, but you still haven't said exactly why you're living over here."

"Oh, right. Well I didn't want to leave Freeze City but I had to get away from my parents. If they ever came looking for me, they would never think to look here."

"But if you come with us to Paradise you're going to have to leave Freeze City."

"Yea, I know. I think I'm ready for a new beginning now."

"What about a new ending?"

I look over at him, eyebrows knit in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Once you enter Paradise you can't leave. You're stuck there."

"You're not supposed to want to leave. It's Paradise, that's the whole point."

"True, but are you ready for that? It looks like you've never fully let yourself give in to your wolf side, you've tried to hide it."

"I want to learn though. I want to be wolf now. Being human has never done anything good for me. I just don't know where to start."

He chuckles. "Don't worry, we can help with that."

"Oh yea? How?"

"You'll see."

By now we've reached the building so he opens the door and lets me walk in first. I nod my thanks and lead him across the lobby to the stairs. "I'm on the third floor." He just nods. I'm on the first step when he grabs my arm. "Tsume, what are you-"

"Shhh. Wait here." And with that he silently runs up the stairs. He soon returns though. "There's a gang on the landing two flights ahead."

"We'll just walk around them." I say, walking past him. He grabs me by the curve of my waist and spins me to face him. "You don't just "walk around" a gang like that. I mean, I can. But you can't."

"Why can't I?"

"Well look at you! You're a hot-you're a girl. Besides, I used to run that gang so they know not to mess with me."

Hot? Did he just call me hot? I felt my cheeks flush but managed to reply with the same stubbornness I had been. "So just escort me through."

"It's not that simple."

"Well then make it that simple."

He narrows his eyes at me and scowls before leading me up the stairs, one hand still on my waist. When we reach the gang they whistle and whoop at me, crowding around as Tsume walks me through them. None of them dare touch me but one, who thinks he's sneaky. He reaches out and smacks my butt. I yelp and move away, the rest of the guys laughing. Tsume turns around and grab the guy by the neck, shoving him against the wall.

"Don't touch her." he growls in his face before throwing him down the stairs. Wide eyed and horrified the rest of the men keep silent and keep out of our way. "Are you alright?" he asks once we're out of ear shot.

I just nod, hoping he won't tell how shaken up I am. We reach a hallway and I stop by my door. With shaking hands I unlock the door and then walk in. He just stands in the doorway.

"Well, come on. Don't stand out there." He looks surprised but does as I say. Once he's inside he locks the door. "I have an extra blanket in the closet over there. I know the couch looks horrible but it's really comfortable."

"You want me to stay?" he asks, raising his eyebrows.

"Yes."

He walks over to me, again putting his hands on my waist. "You're not scared, are you?"

I can't meet his eyes so I instead look at the scar that marks his muscled chest. I can't admit I'm scared. "I'm not scared. But I would feel safer if you were here."

He chuckles. "Alright, I'll stay. But just warning you, I'm an early riser."

I smile and look up at him. "It's okay, I am too."


	5. Chapter 5

My eyes fluttered open to reveal my room filled with the orange/pink glow of dawn. I sat up and held my head as a wave of dizziness washed over me. My eyes then landed on my clothes, unchanged from last night. Ew. I got up and changed into a purple v-neck, skinny jeans, and black boots without a heel. I picked up my leather jacket and headed into the bathroom to wash my face. With one final look in the mirror I walked out into the living/dining room. Tsume was still asleep. So much for being an early riser.

I tiptoed into the kitchen and made some eggs and breakfast sausage, enough for two people. I finished cooking, not bothering to clean up the kitchen. What was the point? I was probably never coming back.

"Did you cook something?" Tsume asked as he walked over. When he saw the other plate of food his eyes went wide. "You made me some?"

"Of course. I was already making myself some, so why wouldn't I make you any?"

He just rubbed his eyes and sat down across from me. "Uh...I don't know. Thanks."

I smiled. "No problem." We continued eating our food, the only noise was the clink of forks on plates. When he finished I cleaned up his plate but left mine on the table.

"What about yours?" he asked as I was washing his plate.

"If anyone comes in I don't want them to think another person was here. They might think I was kidnapped or something."

"You're hoping your parents will find it?"

I sigh and turn to face him, drying my hands. "Yea. But I know they won't so whatever." I put on my jacket and go brush my teeth. I walk back out to find Tsume by the door, leaning on the wall.

"You ready?" he asks.

I smirk. "Yea, let's go." I open the door and walk out, Tsume right by my side. He puts his hand on my waist again.

"Just in case we run into trouble." he whispers in my ear.

I smile, letting my head drop so he doesn't see my blush. He keeps me closer than yesterday and I occasionally bump into him but he doesn't seem to mind. When we get out of the building his hand remains on my waist. Even when we're out of south side his hand still doesn't move. But now it's me who doesn't mind.

...

"We're home!" Tsume calls out jokingly when we get to Kiba's abandoned apartment.

I giggle and lean into him and he just smiles down at me as we wait for the group. They file out of the next room, Kiba and Toboe giving us strange looks. Tsume clears his throat and removes his hand to rub the back of his neck. Suddenly it feels like there's a million miles between us, and I feel unprotected.

"You two are back early." Toboe says as if he's surprised.

"Well yea, you all said you wanted to find the rest of your group so-"

"Pack." Kiba and Tsume correct at the same time.

"First thing about being a wolf, we're a pack, not a group." Tsume says, his voice a little harsh.

"This pack is not complete." It's Cheza. "We must find the others." Kiba takes her hand and she leads him out of the apartment. "Come." she says to the rest of us. "Follow This One."

The rest of us follow behind. "Are they together?" I ask Toboe.

"You mean a couple?" I nod. "Nobody really knows. Kiba's kind of obsessed. All he can think about it Paradise and Cheza. And us, but mostly Paradise and Cheza. You know, he was actually worried about you last night. I mean really worried. If Cheza wasn't there I think he would of gone after you."

"Wow. So everything comes after Cheza?"

Toboe chuckles. "Yup. You get used to it though."

"So who's the alpha?"

"Nobody really. We all kind of input ideas and stuff. In the cities we tend to listen to Tsume. But if it has to do with Paradise, we listen to Kiba."

"Hmm. Okay. Just warning you though, I hate to take orders." We both laugh a little, but I'm only half joking.

"Hate taking orders?" Tsume suddenly says, his voice coming from behind. Wasn't he just in front of us with Kiba and Cheza? "Second thing about being a wolf, always keep track of the pack." he whispers in my ear so only I can hear. "Well, that's going to be a problem." he says normally now, referring to my dislike of orders. "Don't argue with Kiba, he might just rip your throat out."

"I'd like to see him try." I'm barely holding back a growl.

"Relax, Em. I was kidding." Tsume says, putting an arm around my shoulders. I'm seriously annoyed, but I can't help but smile. "For someone who isn't very in touch with their wolf side, you sure have no trouble fighting."

I shrug, smirking. "'Course not! That's one thing I've never lost."


	6. Chapter 6

We find Hige and Blue by a hotdog stand, Hige stuffing his face and Blue just laughing. With Cheza there, their memory returns almost instantly. It was more joyous reunions and awkward introductions for me. The couple seemed nice enough and I didn't get a bad vibe from them. Plus, Hige, or Porky, as Tsume called him, was kind of funny. Blue's seriousness balanced him out.

"So, what do you think about them so far?" Porky asked me.

I just shrugged. "Toboe seems like a nice kid. Tsume's really nice-"

That seemed to choke him up. "Tsume? Nice? Are you sure you're talking about our Tsume?"

"Yes, I'm positive. He's really nice."

"Tsume's not nice!" Hige exclaimed, loud enough for Tsume to hear. "He runs gangs, he's rude, he doesn't act like a nice guy. He's that guy that acts like he doesn't care about anyone or anything. Even though he does."

My gaze flickered to Tsume, who was glaring over his shoulder at Hige. "Well he's nice to me." I mumbled softly, looking down at my boots.

"Maybe he has the hots for you." Hige said with a shrug. "But just warning you, don't get used to Tsume being nice. Okay?"

"Uh...okay?" It wasn't okay though. Was Hige just messing with me? Or was he right about Tsume? If he was right about Tsume, why was Tsume being nice to me? What does he want? Tsume turned to look at me, our eyes meeting for a brief moment before I looked down at my boots again. Out of my peripheral vision I could see him stop walking to wait for me.

"Third thing about being a wolf, don't listen to every howl that crosses the sky." Tsume said roughly, glaring at Hige.

"Just tellin' her the truth!" Hige said defensively before catching up to Blue and the rest of the pack.

"Are you really like Hige said?" I asked, still not looking at him.

"Well I'm obviously not the nicest person here."

I sigh. Even though I'm not looking at him I can still feel his gaze on me. I want to ask him if what Hige said is true, if he does "have the hots" for me. But I can't bring myself to do it. So instead, I ask, "Are you just acting though? Are you really like this."

"Only with you." He says as if it's the most normal thing ever.

I do look up at him now, my surprise not able to be put out. "Why only with me?"

His amber eyes lock with mine, something soft and warm behind their harsh exterior. "I don't know." he said, his soft voice dripping with sincerity.

He was so close, I could reach out a hand and touch him. My heart was hammering so hard in my chest I thought my rib cage would break open. He reached up to push some curls away from my face, his fingers ever so gently trailing across my cheek, sending tingles of warmth through me even though it was freezing cold outside. "Tsume, they're not going to wait for us." I manage to say, noticing the pack wasn't in sight.

"We can catch up." he whispered back before he cupped my cheek and leaned in to kiss me.

His lips brushed mine, my heart pounding even harder and my stomach tying into nervous, in a good way, knots. He placed his other hand at the base of my back, pulling me closer to him. I could feel his muscled chest and abs against me, and I smiled. Gosh, he was hot. I just kind of melted into his arms, my own hands wrapped around his neck.

Suddenly, there was a loud 'thwack' and Tsume pulled away, yelping. "What the-?" He turned around and I looked around him to see an old lady, shaking her cane at him.

"Young man control yourself!" She snapped. "This is the middle of the sidewalk, not the middle of your house." She then turned to me, pointing her cane in my face and forcing me to take a step back. "And you, young lady. Watch out for this one. He doesn't look very faithful." And with that she hobbled off.

I frowned, bitterly disappointed, and then stood on my tiptoes, looking at the back of Tsume's head to see if the old lady had left a bruise or something. "Are you okay?" I asked, not able to hide the disappointment in my voice. I really wished that hadn't ended yet, though I had no idea why.

"It was just a cane, I've been beat with worse." He grumbled, turning to face me.

"Well, another time then. Come on, let's go find the pack." He takes my outstretched hand and together we go to find the pack.

...

We found the pack on the very edge of town, waiting for us before they head out into the wild blue yonder. Hige gave me that smug 'I told you so' look, and I just smirked back. The land around the city was strange to me. For a while it was just grass and a single road that led into the city, but beyond that there was the outline of a the sudden I had this urge to just run, run until I couldn't run any longer. I wanted to run and jump and just enjoy the wilderness.

Tsume sensed my excitement and smirked. "How about we all race to the forest?"

I grinned and let my human disguise fade away, as did everyone else. I hadn't seen my wolf self in a long time. My white fur was soft and it danced playfully in the cold winter breeze. I stretched out my paws and wagged my tail. I didn't even wait for the others, I just ran off towards the forest, my four legs swallowing up the ground and propelling me forward. Gosh this felt amazing!


	7. Chapter 7

"I'm hungry!" Hige whined for about the millionth time.

"Me too!" Toboe agreed, also for the millionth time.

The rest of us just rolled our eyes and sighed angrily. "Aren't we in the middle of a forest?" ask.

They all just look at me like I'm really dumb. "Yesss...?" a few of them answer.

"Don't deer live in forests?" They nod warily. "Well then why don't we hunt something? Obviously."

Hige, Toboe, and Blue made a disgusted face, like I just suggested that we eat each other. "Eat raw meat?" Blue asked. "I've never done that before and I'm not going to start now."

"Then you can sit here and starve. Emerald and I will go hunt." Kiba said. He gave me a soft understanding smile and trotted off, head low as he searched for a scent. I smiled and followed after him, Tsume right behind me.

We were a good distance from the pack when Kiba picked up a scent. "You've done this before?" I ask.

"Many times." He answers, not lifting his head. "This way." He silently leads us over to a small forest clearing. In the center of it munching on some grass is a herd of deer. They're so adorable, but they're about to become a snack. "Look for the weak one." he whispers to me, but I can tell he's already found it.

My eyes scan over the herd until I find an old doe with stiff joints and a limp in her step. "That one."

"Good." Kiba says. "I'll separate it from the herd and drive it towards you two. Stay hidden until it comes to you, then flank it. We'll kill it from there."

I nod and watch as Kiba trots off to the back of the herd. "Good luck." Tsume says before guiding me to my position. "Don't move until the right time." He then goes off to his position across from me.

I crouch down in the grass, anxious to get started. I never thought I'd hunt anything, but now I can't wait to start. I watch as Kiba stalks through the grass, unseen by the herd. He then springs out, nipping at the weak doe's heels. The doe scream in alarm, causing the herd to run in panic. The doe tries to get to the safety of the middle of the herd, but her old and cripplness is no match for Kiba's speed and agility. He looks so graceful, yet totally fearsome. He's breathtaking. Will I look like that when it's my time to hunt?

Suddenly Kiba is driving the doe towards us. Right as they pass us, Tsume and I launch out of our hiding spots, flanking the deer and joining the hunt. Kiba jumps on the doe's rear, trying to weigh her down so Tsume and I can get good bites on the doe. All the sudden, this ancient drive seemed to take over. It just felt right. I picked up more speed and launched myself at the doe's neck, my jaws clamping around the muscle and my fangs sinking into the jugular vein. Warm blood squirted all over my face and chest and into my mouth, washing over my tongue. It tasted so good.

Next thing I know the doe is tumbling to the ground, and bringing me down with it. I loose my grip on it's neck and just let myself fall, there's nothing else I can do. The ground slams into my side and knocks the breath out of me, and then the doe's huge body lands on my back legs, crushing them together. I yelp and try to wiggle my way out from under the body, but I can't move.

"Emerald?"" It's Kiba. He runs over and tries to push the doe off me. Soon, Tsume joins him and then I'm finally free. We're all panting, and I'm just laying there, trying to get my breath back and trying to ignore the throbbing pain in my legs.

"Emerald, are you okay?" Kiba asks, nudging my shoulder.

"Yeah, just a bruise probably." I reply, looking back at my legs. He helps me stand up, my legs screaming with pain, but I ignore it.

I know Kiba can see I'm still in pain, but he doesn't say anything more. Tsume does though. "Are you sure you're okay?"

I nod, limping over to the carcass. "Yes, I'm fine." I look up at him and then over to Kiba. "That was actually really fun." I say, licking my lips.

Kiba chuckles. "The blood tastes good, doesn't it?"

I nod. "Better than expected. We should let the others know we're done hunting."

Kiba nods. "Go ahead."

I smile and take a step back, raising my head and letting loose my very first howl. It feels amazing! My beautiful high pitched song echoes through the forest and carries on with the wind. Soon Kiba and Tsume join me, their deeper pitches harmonizing my with high one. We sound so beautiful. It amazes me how humans think we're so dangerous and evil when we're so beautiful and mysterious.

When we finish howling we start eating the doe. It tastes so good, surprisingly. "You know, you should probably go wash all that blood off." Tsume says between mouthfuls.

I smirk. "Why, do I really look that scary?"

"With all that blood on you, hell yes." Kiba chimes in.

I laugh and shake my head. "Alright, fine. I'll go find some water, I'm done eating anyway."

"I'll go with you." Kiba says, taking another bite and then coming to stand next to me. "It's not safe to travel alone."

"What about me?" Tsume asks, eying Kiba warily.

"The pack will be here soon, and besides if they're not we'll be back soon too."

Tsume narrows his eyes slightly as he decides if he should just stay. "Alright fine." he says finally. "Don't take too long."

I smile, trying to make him feel better. "Don't worry, we'll be fine." That was just about the biggest lie I've ever told.


	8. Chapter 8

So far, our trip to find water was silent and fruitless. No water. No talking. Yay, right? "How did you do it?" Kiba asked, finally breaking the silence. "All those years, how did you learn to shut out your wolf side?"

He doesn't meet my eyes so I return my gaze back to the forest. It's a good question, too good as a matter of fact, because I don't really know how to explain it. I never really shut it out, I just hid it, ignored it. When I was walking places I would stop in an alley and let myself wolf out for a minute or two, but that's been about it since I was five years old. I knew I was different, I knew I didn't belong in the city, so I learned to ignore that I was wolf. I learned to ignore that ancient yearning inside of me. A yearning that screamed: Let the disguise fall! Be your true self! Find other wolves! Find Paradise!

"With lots of practice and patience." I reply after a lot of thought. Is it just me, or do I sound like some kind of Kong foo sensai? Not that Kiba would know what that is. "It wasn't easy, not at all." I look down at my paws and watch them tread over the forest floor.

"You did it for your human parents?"

I nod. "Yea. I don't remember anything about my real parents. If they hadn't died and I had stayed with them, maybe I could of been wolf more." He just nods and keeps listening. "But then none of this would of happened, to me, I mean. You guys would of gotten together and found Paradise anyway. I don't know where I would be right now."

"You would be here." I look up at him, surprised. "We have Cheza. She would of led you to us."

I return my gaze to the forest floor again and think about what Kiba just said. Would I still be here if I hadn't come to Freeze City? Because of Cheza? Would Tsume still have kissed me? "It's a possibility." I say at last. Now I'm thinking of Tsume again.

He kissed me. I've never been kissed like that before. It was different from other kisses. I could feel the care and desire in his kiss. I could practically taste it! What had he tasted in mine? And another thing, I don't even know how I feel about this. Is Tsume good looking? Absolutely. Is he nice to me? Yes. Yes, he's a "bad boy" supposedly, but he doesn't act like one when I'm around. Then again, I don't really know him. I don't know his past, his favorite color, favorite food. Okay well, being a wolf and all his favorite food was probably a meat of some sort so that was a silly thing to want to know. But still, I don't know him.

Yet, no matter how much I don't know him, I can tell I'm starting to like him. Well what girl wouldn't? He's a bad boy, he's extremely hot with killer muscles, he's kind to me, and he protected me! That's a bonus right there. Every girl wants a man that can make her feel safe and protect her. And when we had to walk through the gang on the way to my apartment, Tsume had definitely made me feel safe.

"What do you think that is?" Kiba asks, snapping me from my thoughts.

I look up to see a small trail of smoke dancing in the breeze. It's too collected and small to be a wild fire. "Maybe it's a chimney."

"A what?"

"Come on, I'll show you." I start bounding off through the woods, Kiba hot on my trail, until finally we're at another clearing. In the middle of it sits an adorable log cabin. And coming from the chimney? The smoke Kiba had asked about. "That's a chimney." I say, nodding at the stack on top of the roof. "It's so humans can light fire indoors without smoke getting everywhere. The smoke travels up the chimney and comes out outside." He nods and starts off at a walk. "Wait, Kiba! We can ask them if they know where water is. They live here, they have to get their water from somewhere."

He thinks about it for a moment and then slips into his human disguise, as do I. I still can't figure out why Kiba has black hair in his human disguise, when his fur is white. But then again, I'm the same way. I have white fur, but brown hair. Maybe it's because we're white, we can be any color in our human form. We walk up to the front door and I knock. I hear shuffling around inside until finally the door opens. A half drunk looking man steps out of his cabin with a big hunting gun.

"Get out!" he shouts at us.

"Sir, please. Can you tell us where some water is, we-"

"If you're not outta my sight by time I get to ten, I'll shot ya! One..." Kiba grabs my wrist and we start to run. "Two.."

The forest is getting closer, but for some reason my legs can't seem to run fast enough. Run! my mind is screaming. But my legs won't work!

"Ten!" What happened to three through nine?

Next thing I know bullets are whizzing around us. We're almost to the forest now when a white hot stinging pain shoots through my side. I scream and pain and fall to the ground disoriented. I can't think of anything except the pain, so much pain. So this is what it feels like to be shot.


	9. Chapter 9

"Emerald!" Kiba calls over the gun shots as he runs back to me.

I'm lying on my back, gasping for air like a fish out of water as I watch black dots dance across my vision. Kiba's beside me now and he's picking me up. I open my mouth in a silent scream as I move and jostle about.

"Sorry, Em." he says as he continues to run.

I can feel warm sticky blood oozing from my bullet wound and dripping down my side. But it's not just any blood, it's my blood. My own life is literally dripping out of me. No, no. I can't die yet!

"Kiba..." I rasp, but he doesn't answer.

He just keeps running until finally we reach a lake. He splashes in, disrupting the perfect surface of the water and then he falls to his knees. All the sudden the cold water is around me up to my neck. Kiba moves me so that I'm sitting on his lap, facing away from him, and he's holding me to him, one hand around my shoulders and the other pressing on my wound, trying to stop the bleeding. I suck in a deep breath, wincing.

"I'm sorry." he says again when he sees my pained expression. "It went straight through."

"Good...or bad?" I manage to croak out.

"It's good." I nod and close my eyes, not able to think of anything but the pain and the cold water. "Stay with me, Em. You can't pass out." he says, as if commanding me to stay away, and I feel his grip tighten on me.

A tear slides down my cheek. "I'm right here." I can barely hear my own voice, but Kiba can hear it.

"The moon will be out soon, and Cheza will be here. You'll be okay. You'll heal."

"Soon? Few...hours."

"Soon. Especially when Cheza gets here. You'll be okay."

"Won't know...where..."

"They'll find us, they'll have heard the gunshots."

"If...I die...tell-"

"You're not going to die." he growls.

"But if-"

"You won't!"

I open my heavy eyelids and look up at him. His eyes are partially covered by his shaggy black hair. I slowly raise one hand and push it out of his eyes before letting my hand splash back in the water. "How do you know?" I ask, looking him in the eyes.

"Because I won't let you die." His voice is just as emotionless as ever.

"Why? I'm a stranger. You...you don't owe me."

"Us wolves need to stick together. We have each others backs, we take care of each other. That's what a pack does. I'm not going to let you die."

I close my eyes and lean my head on his chest. I can hear his steady heartbeat thudding against my ear, comforting me. "Thank you." I whisper before slipping into unconsciousness.

...

"Emerald." Kiba whispers in my ear. "Emerald, wake up." he shakes me slightly and I expect to feel a wave of pain roll over me, but nothing.

I open my eyes and a small smile lights up his face. It's night time now and silver moonlight illuminates the water. I don't feel pained anymore, I have so much energy. I sit up, suddenly closer to Kiba, and I lift the bottom of my shirt a little to look at my side. It's healed, it looks as healthy as ever! I let my shirt drop again and look up at Kiba, grinning in amazement.

"It's healed!" I exclaim, so excited. I suddenly wrap my arms around his neck and hug him, sending him toppling back into the water. Oops. "Thank you so much Kiba!" I say, looking down at him now.

His face is above the water and he smiles a little. "Don't thank me, it's the full moon that did that."

"Well, I wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for you. I would of been dead in front of that forest man's cabin."

He frowns a little and I can tell he wants to say it's not true, but he knows it is so he keeps his mouth shut. "Well, you're welcome then. "

I smile some more and watch him for a brief moment, the way his hair dances in the water, how emotional his eyes are yet how emotionless his voice is, just taking in every new detail. He is very handsome, but a bit odd, the way he practically never shows an emotion in his voice. I feel a new feeling rise up in me, but I can't tell what it is. It's probably just the full moon, but I can't help but think that maybe it has something to do with Kiba.

I sit up and remove myself from his lap and hug before sitting down, knees pulled up to my chest and my arms hugging them. Out of the corner of my eye I can see Kiba look at me for a moment, but it's blurry and I can't make out what his eyes are telling me. I tilt my face up to the moon and close my eyes, the silence between Kiba and I as comfortable as a warm blanket.


	10. Chapter 10

"Kiba! Emerald! Guys, they're over here!" Toboe shouts as he runs up to us. "We heard gun shots, are you two okay?"

I smile at Toboe and pull him in for a hug. "Yeah, we're fine. I was the one who got shot, but I'm fine now."

Toboe's eyes go wide. "Did it hurt?"

I laugh a little. "Yes, all too much."

"Well I'm glad you're okay." He says with a smile before bounding over to Kiba.

"Hey Em, hey Kiba. You two don't look hurt." I look over at Hige and Blue and they're standing in the water, watching the rest of us.

"Well, not anymore." I reply.

"You were hurt?" Cheza asks as she kneels next to me. "Do not worry. This one is here now. You are safe."

I smile up at the Flower Maiden and watch as she walks off farther into the lake. She spreads her arms out and tilts her face to the mood. All the sudden, hands grab me by the arms and pull me to my feet before turning me around. It's Tsume, and he looks pretty worried when he sees the blood on my shirt.

"Are you okay?" he asks, his voice quiet so the others can't hear.

"I got shot." His eyes go wide and he looks like he's about to have a heart attack. "But I'm fine now."

He just sighs and pulls me in for a hug, resting his chin on the top of my head as I put my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. "We heard shots. When we found blood by the cabin, we knew it wasn't Kiba. I thought..."

I smile. He actually got worried. Awwww. "Well you should have more faith in me. I'm stronger than I look."

He chuckles and holds me out at arms length before kissing me on the forehead. "You sure about that?" he teases before grabbing my hand and leading me out to Cheza. "Come on, she's about to start."

I see Kiba and Cheza holding hands and for some reason it annoys me. Why is he holding hands with Cheza? But soon the feeling washes away, the full moon's good mood is too infectious, and Tsume is standing right next to me. We all let our disguises fade away and then Cheza starts to sing. It takes my breath away. Her voice is so angelic, so hypnotizing. And between that and the full moon, how could I ever feel any better?

She sings some more, all of entranced, and then starts spinning in circles. Us wolves howl until we have no breath and then run around Cheza in pure bliss. That yearning I've been unable to get rid of is finally gone. For once in my life I know exactly who I am, exactly why I'm here, and exactly where I'm going. The future only holds one thing for us, for me. Paradise. We're going to Paradise, and nobody can stop us.


	11. Chapter 11

Bright sunlight pierces through my closed eyelids, waking me from the most pleasant sleep I've ever had. Memories of last night come flooding back and I wish I can relive those memories over and over again. At one point it had all been too much and I had broke down crying. I had fallen to my knees and just sobbed tears of joy. Cheza had comforted me, as best as a flower can, and then we continued on.

I finally open my eyes to see the pack sleeping around Cheza. Tsume is next to me, looking pretty relaxed in his sleep. I smile and kiss his cheek before getting up and lethargically walking over to the lake. I was surprised to see Blue already there. I thought she was with the rest of the pack. Guess not.

"Morning." Blue greeted.

I sat down next to her, staring at the lake's mirror surface. "Good morning." I replied.

"So, how'd you like your first full moon with Cheza?"

I grinned. "It was amazing, and breathtaking, and...I can't describe it."

Blue laughed a little. "I know how you feel. I felt the same way my first full moon."

She acted like she had recently found the pack too. Like she only just recently had her first full moon. "How'd you find the pack?"

Blue gave a chuckle and shook her head. "I was hunting them." My eyes go wide and I'm shocked. Hunting them? Why on earth would she hunt them? "I was raised with humans too. But wolves killed my owner's family, so we started to hunt them. I didn't know I was half wolf until I met Cheza. I got attached to the pack, especially Hige." She smiled when she says his name. "I couldn't let my owner hurt them, so I just ran away with them."

I smile. Another one raised by humans. "We're kind of in the same boat, you and I."

She smiles. "Yeah, we are. But don't worry, the pack will go easy on you until you learn the ropes."

I laugh a little. "I don't need easy, I just want them to teach me."

"Trust me, being a wolf isn't something you can be taught. They can give you tips and advice, but they can't teach you. It's something you have to learn on your own. But speaking of tips, here's one: listen to your instincts. Your brain just complicates things."

I nod. "Okay, I'll remember that. Thanks."

"Anytime. Listen, I don't know if this is crossing the line, but are you and Tsume...you know, together?"

I smile and look over my shoulder at Tsume. "I don't know. I mean, I guess he likes me, and I like him, but I don't know."

"Hm. Well, I'm glad you came along. It's good to have another girl around here. And besides, you bring out a side of Tsume none of us have ever seen before."

"What do you mean?"

"He acts all tough and uncaring, like the cool guy who doesn't have a care in the world. That's how he's always been. He had to act like that when he was running the gangs, and it's just how he is. But since you've came along, he's been happy. And nicer."

I smile and look down at my hands. Wow, I never knew I could have such an effect on people. Especially a guy like Tsume. It makes me feel special, and important, and I actually started to blush. One by one, the rest of the pack starts to wake up, and you want to know the first thing Toboe and Hige say? I'll give you three guesses. "I'm hungry!", "I'm hungry!", or "I'm hungry!"

"You're always hungry, Porky." Tsume snaps, yawning.

We all laugh and I shook my head. "If we travel east there should be another city. We can get there by lunch if we leave soon."

"Lunch time? That's hours away! I'm hungry now." Hige exclaimed. He wanted us to hunt again, but I wasn't in the mood right now, and neither was Kiba or Tsume. So, we traveled.


	12. Chapter 12

My calculations were correct and we reached the next town around lunch time. Not a surprise, really, I'm always right. Okay, well not always, but most of the time. Anyways, this city, unlike Freeze City, didn't have a dome around it. It wasn't grey polluted air that we were inhaling, it was still the nice outdoor air.

"Okay, now that we're in the city let's get some grub!" Hige says, licking his lips and starting to sniff the air.

"Um, Hige?" He looks over at me. "We don't have any money." The pack just chuckles and keeps on walking.

"We don't need money, we'll steal our food." Hige informs me, as if it's nothing.

But we're stealing. "We'll get caught."

"No we won't. We haven't gotten caught before, we won't get caught now."

"Well if we all try to steal from the same place we're more likely to get caught." I argue. Duuh, shouldn't he know that?

"Fine, then we'll split up. Toboe, Blue, and I will head to the east side of town. Kiba and Cheza, head west. You and Tsume hit the north side of town. We'll back here in an hour."

"An hour?" He gives me a questioning look. "Fine, an hour. Be careful, all of you."

"Yea, yea, whatever. We'll be fine." Hige says before leading his group off.

"You be careful too." Kiba says, looking me in the eyes before taking Cheza's hand and walking off. For some reason, I really wish Kiba was coming with us. I don't know why, so I tell myself it's because I want to keep the Flower Maiden safe. Which is true, I don't like that she only had Kiba to protect her.

I forget all of it though when Tsume puts his hand on my waist and leads me off. But instead of leading me to the north side of the city, he pulls me into an alley. "What are you doing?" I ask as he leads me to the back of the alley.

"We got interrupted the last time. We shouldn't get interrupted here." he answers, turning to face me.

I feel my heart skip a beat and my stomach flutter. I know what he means. Our kiss. He has to look down and I have to tilt my face up to meet his eyes. His beautiful amber eyes. When I look under his bad boy disguise, when he lets it fall away, he actually looks regal. He has this look about him, it's confident and bold. His chiseled features are soft yet still stern.

Both of his hands are on my waist now and I put my hands on his muscled arms, sliding them up his arms until I reach his shoulders, then I wrap my arms around his neck. We're silent, no words could fit this moment, but the look in each others eyes is worth millions of words.

And then finally, he presses his lips to mine. I close my eyes and let myself melt into his arms again. Our kiss is slow and passionate. One of his hands moves to the small of my back and he pulls me closer. I can feel his body against mine, every move he makes. I can taste the care and desire and passion in his kiss. It's so perfect, I just want to hang onto this moment forever and continue to let the rest of the world fall away. And to my pure joy, it does.

...

A few minutes later we were back on the main streets, walking to find some food. Tsume's hand holds mine, our hands seeming to lock together perfectly. His hands were big, mine were small, and they felt like they were made for each other. I couldn't help but feel happy and on top of the world, I even blushed a little just thinking about our amazing kiss.

"Blushing now, are we?" Tsume asks sarcastically.

I giggle, blushing more. I could feel heat radiating into my cheeks. "Yeah, a little." I admit, shaking my head and looking down at the ground. "Sorry."

Tsume stops walking and turns to face me. "Don't apologize." He reaches out and wraps a curl around his finger. "It's cute."

I blush a little more, a grin spreading across my face. "Thanks." I manage to say.

He takes in a deep breath as his eyes search over every inch of my face. Suddenly, he looks down the street, sniffing the air ever so slightly. He smirks and turns me so that my back is facing him, then puts his hands over my eyes.

"Tsume, what are you doing?" I ask, putting my hands on my hips. I know I can't see him, but I bet he's rolling his eyes at me.

"Fourth thing about being a wolf, trust your senses."

"I can't see anything." I complain, my tone suggesting that he's lost his mind.

"Your other senses." he whispers, his breath brushing across my ear and cheek, giving me goosebumps.

I take a deep breath and listen. I can hear the sound of cars, people passing by and talking. "I hear the city."

"Listen harder."

I don't understand what he means, but I do as he says and listen again. I hear the city, but I can also hear Tsume's breathing. And his heartbeat. And the sizzle of hotdogs on a hotdog cart. Where did that stand come from? I hadn't seen one earlier.

He can tell by the smile on my face and the small sniff I give that I've found the stand. He pulls his hands off my eyes and points to the cart. My eyes go wide when I spot it. It's three blocks away!

"How did I-"

"You're a wolf, remember? You can do things a normal human can't, you just have to remember that." I feel his arms slip around my waist and he presses his cheek to mine. "Come on, let's get some food."


	13. Chapter 13

After we had gotten our hotdogs we walked back to where we were supposed to meet. We took our time, of course. Window shopping, talking, holding hands, Tsume giving other guys glares if they stared at me too long. You know, the usual stuff couples would do, and then some. I felt amazingly happy the entire time. I don't think I stopped smiling, and my cheeks didn't hurt at all!

When we finally reached the rendavous, two of us were missing. Kiba and Cheza. We didn't even question it we just took off in the direction they had gone. I decided to test out my nose again so when I inhaled I paid special attention to the scents. I smelled city, with underlying notes of the Flower Maiden and Kiba. I kept track of their scents as we ran. Which was a while. This city was pretty big. All the sudden, their scent became much stronger.

"This way!" I called to the pack before turning a corner.

I could hear voices now so I held out a hand for them to stop and then shushed them. I snuck to the next corner and peeked around. It was another alley. At least five thugs stood with their backs to me. Facing them was Kiba, and behind him, Cheza. One of the thugs started to growl, and I almost did too. I wasn't about to let them hurt Cheza or Kiba.

I looked back at the pack and pointed to the rooftops. "Two per rooftop." I whispered to them before jumping on the top of one of the side buildings.

Blue landed next to me. The building across from me was Hige and Toboe, and Tsume was on the back building. Two of the thugs-wait, those aren't thugs. They're other wolves!

"Give us the flower, and no one gets hurt." the alpha snarled, advancing towards Kiba.

I looked over at Tsume and he nodded, jumping down from his roof and landing in front of Kiba and Cheza. The other pack seemed surprised but then chuckled and started to advance again. Hige and Toboe jumped down next. They stopped again, looking a little confused, then Blue and I jumped down, a look of rage and blood thirts etched onto my face.

"You might want to back off." I snarl at the wolves.

The leader chuckles and starts to walk towards Blue and I. "And what exaclty are two pretty ladies like you gonna do?"

Blue growls, and so does Tsume. I don't even answer, I just snarl and lunge at him, tackling him to the ground and latching my jaws around his throat. My fangs are just starting to sink in when another wolf bites me between my shoulders and yanks me off of him. I yelped and hit the ground hard, clawing at the other wolf's face so he can't bite at me.

Around me, similar battles are going on. Kiba and Tsume are fighting the leader, he soon gave up and ran out of the alley with his tail between his legs. Once their alpha ran off, the other wolves scurried off too. I looked around at everyone, making note of their injuries. We had minor cuts and bruises, a few bites, but nothing major.

"Emerald, you're bleeding." Kiba says, touching the bite mark between my shoulders.

I flinch slightly and turn around to see him and Cheza. Kiba's looking down at his fingers, covered in my blood, but then looks up at me. "I'll be fine. What was that all about though?" I ask.

"They cornered us in an alley. They wanted Cheza so they could try to find Paradise."

"Those wolves were bad, they were not kind like you and Kiba. This one is glad they are gone." Cheza says with a smile.

I smile back at her. "Thanks Cheza."

"Thanks for helping, Emerald." Kiba says and I swear I can see the slightest hint of a smile on his lips. Or was I just imagining it?

I smile back even if he wasn't smiling. "Don't mention it."

"Emerald!" Tsume exclaims, turning me to face him. He had a cut over one eye but it's not too bad. "I saw you get bit."

"I'm fine." I reply. It stings and hurts when I move my shoulders, but not as painful as when I got shot.

"Are you sure?" he asks, holding me by the shoulders.

"Yes, nothing I'll die from." He gives me a quick comforting hug and I start to feel a lot better, but then I start to wonder. What would of happened to us if those other wolves had gotten Cheza. I know Kiba has a really close connection to Cheza, would he be lost without her? What he do? What would we do?


	14. Chapter 14

~~Sorry it took so long for me to get this posted. I was so busy and had major Writer's Block. But it's gone now, so expect lots more chapters :3~~

...

That night we took turns keeping watch, in case those city wolves came back. Kiba insisted on taking the first watch, so nobody even argued with him about it. Everybody else went to sleep, but I was everything but tired. I tried not to think-not possible-, I tried counting sheep-made me hungry-, I even tried pretending I was asleep. Nothing worked, so I finally just lay there, watching the twinkling sky.

"Can't sleep?" Kiba asked quietly, voice emotionless as always.

I look over at him and nod, noticing he's sitting only about five feet away with his back against a tree and Cheza laying down next to him. "Yeah. I don't know why."

"It's a new moon. A lot of wolves can't sleep when the moon isn't out."

My eyes flicked back to the sky and he's right, it is a new moon. There's no moon hanging in the sky, no silver light flooding into the forest. The sky suddenly feels very empty.

"If you sit by Cheza, it'll help."

I look over my shoulder at Tsume who's asleep behind me. He looks so peaceful when he sleeps, like all his troubles are gone. I get up then and tip toe over to lay down by Cheza, Kiba sitting on the other side of me. "I don't feel any different." I whisper.

"Wait for it."

So I do. I sit there, blankly staring at the sky and thinking. All the sudden a question pops into my mind. It nags at me and I need to know the answer, but I'm afraid to ask. What if I don't like the answer? It shouldn't matter anyways though, because I'm with Tsume. So I muster up my courage and ask. "Do you love Cheza?" I can see him out of the corner of my eye and he doesn't have any emotion still.

"Every wolf loves the Flower Maiden."

"I mean more than that." I say, propping myself up on my elbows and looking at him.

He just looks at me, his voice and eyes portraying no emotion. " I don't know."

"That's a lie." I snap, annoyed by his answer. How can he not know?

"I don't know." he repeats.

"Well than what the hell do you know?" I snap rather sarcastically, but I don't think he understands that.

He just keeps staring at the sky, as if silently begging the moon to rise. I don't know why, but I'm still annoyed by his answer. I don't know. What a cop out. Of course he knows, deep down inside he knows. And I'm determined to know too. Now I really can't sleep. Unlike the last silence between Kiba and I down at the lake, this one is uncomfortable, like a wet pair of denim that keeps chaffing your thighs.

"Do you love Tsume?" he asks out of no where.

I look over at him, shock writted on my face. He just looks back at me, expecting an answer. Do I love Tsume? I definitely feel something strong for Tsume, but is it love? I've never been in love before, but could this be it? This attraction to Tsume and everything he is.

I sigh and shake my head before answering. "I don't know." I reply finally. "I feel something for him, something strong. But I've only known him for a little while. It's too soon to be love, but it may be eventually." I pause. "I care about Tsume, a lot actually. I've had crushes before and what I feel for him is more than a crush. That much I know." I feel bad now, because I'm giving Kiba the exact same answer I got mad at him for giving me. "Sorry."

"Don't be. It's okay." He looks down at me. "Love is one of the things that can never be certain. Nobody ever knows."

I nod. "That's true." I yawn then, suddenly feeling a lot calmer.

"Tired?" he asks. I nod. "Well then sleep. You'll need your rest. We have to keep moving tomorrow and who knows what we'll find."

"But I want to keep talking to you. It's been so long since I've talked like this with anybody, about everything. I can trust you." Why am I telling him this? I know it's true, but he can use this knowledge against me. I doubt he will though.

"I trust you too." he says. "But we can talk more tomorrow. Go to sleep."

I bit my lip, looking up at him. "Alright fine." I close my eyes and snuggle down into the earth a little, frowning as a piece of my bangs falls into my face. He brushes it away and behind my ear, his fingers brushing against my cheek. "Thank you, Kiba."

"You're welcome."

"Goodnight, Kiba."

He pauses for a moment before responding, his deep voice having some emotion that I can't name. "Goodnight, Emerald."


	15. Chapter 15

I blink open my eyes to see Cheza laying next to me, her big red eyes peering into mine. "This One has been waiting for you."

I smile. "Thanks, Cheza."

She reaches out a delicate hand and I let my human disguise fall away so she can stroke my fur. I close my eyes, enjoying her gentle touch. "You are a most pretty wolf." she says. "This One likes you."

I smile again. "Thanks, Cheza. I like you too."

"Tsume likes you too." I blush a little, if that's possible when you're a wolf. "When we get to Paradise, I want to see some pups. It has been a long time since This One has brought joy to a pup."

My eyes open and I nod, a little surprised. Did she just ask me to have pups with Tsume? Cheza just smiles and gets up, tottering off to Kiba and the others. I lay there, thinking it over. I want pups-kids, whatever you would call them- but not now. Later, when I'm older.

I sit up and look over at the pack and I can tell she's just said the same thing to Hige and Blue. Hige and Blue are both blushing, looking really uncomfortable and awkward. Tsume and Toboe are laughing at them, literally rolling on the floor laughing with tears spewing from their eyes.

"Shut up!" Hige growls at them. "At least she said it to us! I don't see Cheza saying that to you and Emerald!"

Tsume just laughs harder. "That's fine! What the hell would I want pesky children for?" he scoffs.

I frown a little and stand up, making my way over to them. I decide not to tell anybody about what Cheza told me. I'll tell somebody eventually. "Morning, Em." they greet and I smile back.

"Cheza just told-"

"I know, I heard." I say, cutting off Toboe. "Let's just move on, we're wasting time." I say. We need to hurry up and get to Paradise.

...

After a very long, hot walk through the forest we end up on the edge of a vast plain. A big plain made of grass. And more grass. In the distance is a big mountain range. In between that and us? Grass. We need to get across the plain, but us wolves can't eat grass. It's going to take us all day, or more, to get across the plain. And so far, I can't think of anything out there we can eat. Great.

"We're screwed." Hige mumbles, sighing.

"Maybe there's little gophers or rabbits or something." Blue says, trying to cheer him up.

"Well, there's no point in standing around here and complaining. Let's get across the plain and find out. Maybe there's food in the mountain range. If we keep moving we can get there by nightfall. Then a few of us can go search for food." I say, stepping into the plain and walking off ,the pack following.

"We can't, we have to find another way. A place with food." Kiba argues, standing on the edge of the forest with Cheza.

I raise an eyebrow and turn around to face him. "This is the fastest way. There will be food by the mountains."

"How do you know?" Kiba asks.

"Because I just know."

Kiba scowls at me and heads back into the forest. "Come on, guys." he says to the pack, not looking back.

The pack looks between us, confused. But everybody except Tsume follows Kiba. He has the Flower Maiden, after all. They're wrong. I know we can make it. We ate this morning and we'll eat again tonight. But part of me starts to wonder. Am I wrong?

"I thought you trusted me." I say to Kiba and I see him freeze before looking over his shoulder at me.

"I do." he says, voice emotionless.

"Then why don't you trust me when I say I can get us to the mountains?" I finally let the hurt show in my eyes and he sees it, I know he does. His expression softens a little.

"I'm going it for them, Em. They can't handle it." He gestures to the three wolves with him; Hige, Blue, and Toboe. They all look a little offended but don't say anything.

"I can get them across too." I say, sure of it.

He lets the hurt show in his eyes now too. "I thought you trusted me." he says, turning my own words against me.

"I do." I say softly.

"Then trust me now. Come my way. For them."

I glance at the three wolves following him and sigh. "You trust me. There'll be food over the mountains. We can do it."

He sighs too, looking away from me. The silence seems to drag out for eternity, but it's only a few seconds. Finally he turns and walks up to me, smiling a little. "We'll go over the plain." he says softly.

I grin back and give him a quick hug. "I knew you'd see it my way." And with that we start across the plain as a pack, my hand locked with Tsume's.


	16. Chapter 16

After walking for close to two hours, we were halfway across the plain. See? Another two hours and we'll be at the mountains. So far, everybody seems okay.

"That was brave of you." Tsume whispers in my ears, giving me goosebumps.

I smirk and look up at him. "What was?"

"Standing up to Kiba like that. Nobody does most of the time. We just do whatever Kiba does. He knows that most about Paradise and the Flower Maiden follows him too."

"Well it felt wrong to try and find another way. It would have wasted time to go his way. We've only walked for two hours and we're more than halfway there already. We'll be there before nightfall."

Tsume just chuckles and gives me a kiss on the cheek. "I know, I know."

I smile and start to swing our hands as we walk. "Cheza talked to me this morning." I say suddenly.

Tsume looks a little alarmed. "Same thing she told Hige and Blue?" I nod. "With me?" I nod again. He's silent for a moment before shrugging. That's it? Just a shrug? But then he says, "Later. I don't want any now."

I smile, relieved that he hasn't flipped out. "Same here. I'm only nineteen, what the hell would I want pups now for?"

Tsume chuckles and lets go of my hand to put his hand on my waist and pull me closer. I love when he does that. The silence between us is happy and warm. All the sudden a buzzing noise fills the air. With furrowed brows I look up to see a noble ship forming above us. The camera panels that make it blend in with the sky and turning over to reveal the black underbelly of the ship. I don't like the feel of this.

"Run!" I shout, and nobody hesitates to follow my direction.

The pack runs as fast as we can, and so far it's just fast enough. The ship starts to shoot laser beams at us, ones that would kill us as soon as we got hit. But the ship's robots have terrible aim and the lasers hit the ground, sending dirt and grass flying into the air only so it can rain back down on us. All the sudden I see Toboe fall from the rest of my pack and I skid to a halt to turn around and see him on the ground, clutching his ankle.

I run back to him and put an arm around him to help him up and keep running. But he's so slow. We'll never make it. "Leave me! You won't make it!" Toboe shouts at me.

"I'm not leaving you!" I shout back, starting to panic. I can't leave Toboe, he's so young and I can't let him die out here.

I growl and pick him up, running as fast as I can but not fast enough. A laser shoots right behind us and we got flying through the air. I hit my head heard and I can hear my ears ringing now. I push myself up, forcing down a wave of nausea, and try to help up Toboe. Tsume's here now and he picks up Toboe instead, before pushing me in front of him and running again. He runs faster than I did with Toboe, but still not fast enough.

Robot arms drop down from the ship and grab Tsume and I, lifting us into the sky towards the ship. Tsume drops Toboe and leaves him in the care of Kiba and Cheza. Hige and Blue get carried up with us as well, and as soon as we're in the ship the doors we came up through close, leaving us in a pitch black room.

I feel the icy fingers of fear clamp around my heart. Where are we? Why are we here? Will the others be okay? Will we ever get out? I don't know anything, and that's why I'm scared. Fear of the unknown. I guess Tsume's a bit scared too because he reached over and grabs my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. I squeeze his hand back and hold it tight, not wanting him to let go. He doesn't.

"Injuries?" Tsume asks, his deep voice calmer than I could ever manage to do right now.

"Bumps and bruises." Hige says glumly.

"Same here." Blue replies, and I can tell she's scared too. I reach in front of me and find her hand. She squeezes it and I squeeze it back. 'We'll get out of this.' we seem to say to each other.

"I'm fine." I tell Tsume, trying to keep my voice calm.

"Good, then we're all uninjured. Let's keep it that way." Tsume says.

"No matter what, we've got to stick together." I whisper. "We can't let them separate us."

Tsume squeezes my hand again. "We'll stay together." he says, and I can tell he's trying to tell me something else. 'I won't leave you.' Thank you, Tsume. I won't leave you either.


	17. Chapter 17

A bright white light suddenly filtered into the room as a door slid open off to the left. For a moment I was blind, but then my eyes adjusted and I could see a figure standing in the doorway. The figure slowly walked into the room and I got chills down my spine.

This man looked like an evil scientist. He was wearing black dress pants and shoes, a long white lab coat, and a blue button up shirt and tie underneath. His crazy graying brown hair stuck out in all directions, except where it was kept down by a pair of safety goggles. His eyes were wild and crazy, yet his expression was calm. Not good. He was crazy, but he was hiding it. And that's the worse kind of crazy.

The man walked over to Tsume, studying him and taking notes before doing the same to the rest of us. When he was done he stood by the doorway, facing us. "Hello, subjects." Subjects? "I am in need of some new test subjects for my experiments, and you four are the perfect specimens." He looked over at Hige, narrowing his wild eyes only slightly. "You could be a little skinnier, but you shall have to do."

I raise an eyebrow, though I can feel a bit of fear starting to come back. Experiments? Is he going to cut us open? "What kind of experiments?" I manage to ask, keeping my voice steady and strong.

"I have two. The first project I am in need of a pair of wolves to take me to Paradise. The second, I need a pair of wolves to start a new pack. So when my other packs fail, this one can take their place."

I growl at this unnamed scientist, glaring at him. "What makes you think we're going to help you?"

"And how did you know we were wolves?" Hige asks.

The scientist doesn't even glance at Hige, he just ignores him. "You have no choice in the matter." he says calmly.

"We still won't help you." Blue snaps. "Ever."

The man smirks. "I thought you would say that."

He snaps his fingers and some more white dressed scientists walk into the room, handcuffing us before releasing us from the robot arms. I have a feeling these aren't just normal scientists though. They have these stick things and pistols holstered to their hips. My hand is rips from Tsume's as we're handcuffed and fear starts to grab my heart again.

They lead us into a hallway, and everything was that horrible sterile white. The next thing I know Tsume lunges for the neck of the minion in front of him, but the man pulls out one of those metal sticks and electrocutes him. He falls to his knees, gasping and shaking a little. My eyes go wide and I try to get to him, but the people hold me back.

"I'm fine, Em." he says, standing up.

I nod and keep my mouth shut, but I still worry for him. He can see the worry in my eyes and he gives me a small reassuring smile. I smile back, feeling a bit better already. They continue to lead us down the labyrinth of white hallways until we reach a metal door. The evil scientist guy put his hand on a keypad by the door. The pad scans his finger prints before sliding open. It's another hallway but this one is gray and haunting. Rows upon rows of metal prison cells line the walkway. I can only imagine what's been done in this prison.

"I'll give you all have an hour before I come back. Figure out who will be part of what experiment, or I will." He smirks and waves at us. "Ta-ta!" And then he walks off. His minions push us into the hallway and then shove us into a large cell. The guards are able to unlock our handcuffs yet lock the cell door in record time. We don't even have time to stop them.


	18. Chapter 18

I snarl and throw myself against the metal doors. We need to get out of here, I need to get them out of here. This is all my fault. I told everyone to follow me across the plain, and look what happened. I throw myself at the bars over and over, ignoring the pain it causes. I need to open this door.

After the rest of them realize I'm not going to stop, Tsume runs over to try and grab me but I'm able to slip out of his grasp and throw myself at the bars one last time. Tsume and Hige grab me, pulling me back and pinning me against the back cement wall.

"Emerald! Stop!" Tsume shouts at me.

I stop thrashing around and finally look over at him. He looks worried, more worried than I've ever seen him before. I glance over at Hige and Blue. They look scared too, and worried. "I'm sorry." I whisper, and Tsume pulls me into his arms.

"It's not your fault." he whispers, stroking my hair.

I feel myself tearing up now, guilt eating at me. "It is. I wanted to go across the plain. It's my fault." My voice is high and cracking as I fight back tears.

I hear footsteps and look over to see Blue. "It's not your fault." she said, and I can see in her blue eyes that she means it.

"Yeah!" Hige chimes in. "We'll get out of this real quick. We've been in worse before."

I frown, leaning into Tsume who tightens his arms protectively around me. "I haven't." I say quietly.

Tsume chuckles and pats my back. "You'll do fine, you're a fast learner." he says, smirking.

I look around at the other three wolves with me and take a deep breath. I'm not alone here, they'll help me. I'll help them. We can do this. "Thanks guys."

"Anytime." Blue replies, smiling.

"We need a plan." Hige says, sitting down and leaning against the back cement wall.

Tsume looks around at the cell before letting go of me and walking towards one of the metal bar side walls. "Search the cell for any loose bars, any we can bend or break, lift up or bend down. Hige, check that back wall for any cracks or holes."

"You act like you've done this before." I say.

He looks back at me, expression serious and a tiny bit sad. "I have." And then he goes back to searching his wall.

I'm a bit surprised, but I shake it off to go search the other side wall. I start to wonder though, how much don't I know about Tsume? He knows my past, he knows me. All I know of him is that he used to run gangs before he found the pack. Is his past bad? Is that why he hasn't offered to tell it to me? And everybody says that Tsume has changed a lot since he met me. Is it an act? Or does he really act like that because of me?

I realize I've been staring at the same bar for the entire time, lost in thought. I shake my head and decide to forget about my doubts. I should trust Tsume, he trusts me. And he hasn't done anything bad to me, he hasn't hurt me. He's doing everything right so far.

I start to check the bars, pulling and pushing them, trying to bend and break them. Nothing. Hige's been searching the back wall, Blue the front door. "Anybody find anything?" Tsume asks after a while more of searching.

We all shake out heads. Hige scowls and kicks the bottom of the wall. "Great! Just great!"

Tsume's eyes go wide and he points to where Hige kicked the wall. "Hige, kick the wall again!"

Hige looks confused but he kicks the wall again. When he pulls his foot away some cement crumbles off. All our eyes go wide and we rush over, kicking the wall and watching it crumble to the floor. Our shoes get wet and water drips from the wall. That's why it was so weak! It was wet and was getting eroded!

After a while of kicking there's a hole big enough for Blue and I to fit through. More kicks and Tsume can fit through. Another few kicks and Hige's chubby self can fit through. I drop down, catching myself on my hands and the balls of my feet, peeking through the hole in the wall to see one of the thousand sterile white hallways. Nobody's there and there are no cameras.

"I'll go through first." I whisper to them and then crawl through, standing up on the other side. Tsume crawls through next, and then Blue and Hige. I sneak over to the corner and peak around. Nobody's there either. "Come on." I whisper, and they follow me through the halls, doing that same thing for every hall. It's a bit odd that nobody's patrolling the ship though.

All the sudden we hear footsteps coming towards our hallway and we start to silently panic, looking for someplace to hide. I see a door and run over to it, pushing it open and ushering the others into it before silently closing it. We all hold our breath as we wait, but the footsteps pass and don't come into the room. We all sigh in relief and for the first time I look around the room we're in. File cabinets line the walls, file cabinets that'll probably have information in them.

"Come on." Tsume says, about to open the door.

"Wait!" I whisper scream. "Let's look through the cabinets. We can find information about this guy." They all look at each other and nod before starting to help me search the files.


	19. Chapter 19

_(I start school next week so I don't know how often I'll be able to keep posting chapters. I'll try to keep updating ^-^)_

We silently walked through the room and picked a cabinet to search. Some of the drawers were locked, some weren't. The files we found didn't help us figure out anything about this man, why he wanted us, and what he planned to do. We searched the entire room until there was only one file cabinet left. I rushed over and broke open the locked drawers, the others grabbing files and starting to see what was in them. I grabbed some myself and then joined them.

"I found something!" Hige exclaimed, a bit too loud for my taste.

"Me too!" Tsume said, holding out the file for us to see.

Tsume's file was about the experiments the guy had planned for the future. Hige's file was all about the scientist guy. His past, information about him, ect. Perfect! Blue was holding a file about test subjects for his experiments, my file was about past experiments the guy had tried.

"Guys, let's go. We can read these later." I said, putting my file in my jacket inside pocket and leading them out of the room.

We snuck through the halls down to where we had come in the ship. This last part would be the hardest. Getting out. I looked around at the loading deck, frowning. The hatch we had been pulled up through was closed. Scowling a little I lead the group over to a mound of crates. We hid safe in there, looking around for another way out. Blue was searching the crates, and soon she pulled out a rolled up rope ladder. Perfect. But we have nothing to get out of the ship. All the sudden Tsume taps me on the shoulder and points to a floor to ceiling window with poles in front of it. Perfect.

We sneak over and tie the end of the ladder to the poles and then try to quietly open the window. We haven't even unlocked it yet when an alarm blares. They know we're escaped the cells. They'll be here any second. Hige suddenly picks up the very end of the rope ladder and jumps through the window, breaking the glass and extending the ladder for us to climb down. He lands safely on the ground but has to run to keep up with the still flying plane. Blue starts to climb down and when she's half way down I start to go down. Tsume doesn't wait, he just climbs down with me.

We've only gone a few rungs when guards are standing by the window. We climb faster, but it's not fast enough. They press a button on the wall and the robot arms come out to grab us. I duck, clinging to the rope, but Tsume's too big. The arms grab his torso and shoulders. My eyes go wide and I start to try and rip the arms off him. He stops me though, shoving his file in my jacket. He's telling me to leave, telling me to go and be safe. But I want to be safe with him. What good is being safe if he's not with me?

"I won't leave you!" I shout at him,panicking, determined not to leave him here. "You're coming to Paradise with me."

He shakes his head at me, putting a warm hand to my cheek. "It doesn't matter if I don't find Paradise. You are my Paradise." His voice is silky and deep and sweet and sincere.

His words bring tears to my eyes, it breaks my heart. Now I'm definitely not leaving him. "Tsume, please!" I beg, trying to pull him out of the arms.

More robot arms extend from the ship, and Tsume gives me one last kiss. It tastes passionate and promising. "I'll find you, Em!" And with that he shoves me off the ladder, the robot arms missing me by an inch.

They pull him up into the ship and I extend a hand towards him, as if I can reach out and pull him with me. He reaches out a hand too, but then they drag him away and I can't see him. I hit the ground hard, the breath knocked out of me. I'm gasping for air, turning over onto my belly, tears streaming down my cheeks. Hige and Blue drag me to my feet and force me to run, but I can hardly see anything through the tears.

My head is pounding and I'm in shock. Tsume's gone. I can't believe it, I refuse to. I look over and he's not running next to me. I feel myself start to break. Tsume's gone. In the hands of that monster, and I'm not with him. Nobody is. I start to cry, sob more like, and I can't stand anymore. I fall to my knees, shattering inside like broken glass. I feel empty, and the only thing there is hurt and guilt.

They drag me to my feet again, having to help me stand as we run. I can barely keep myself standing straight. I probably seem like a big baby, sobbing like my child had just died, but this was worse. I had just lost Tsume. And he wasn't dead, he was alive. But I didn't know if I was ever going to see him again. I didn't know if he would survive whatever that scientist would do to him. I just don't know, and fear of the unknown is the worst kind of fear.

All the sudden we run into shadows and I wipe my eyes. They're clear just long enough for me to see that we've reached the mountains. My eyes fill with tears again and I look down, though I can see shadows in the distance. They get closer and closer and soon the voices of Kiba and Toboe reach my ears. They ask what's wrong with me and where Tsume is, and I just collapse again, curling up into a ball and sobbing.

Kiba and Blue are kneeling next to me, Kibas stroking my hair and Blue is pulling me into a sitting up position, holding me to her and telling me it'll be okay. That Tsume's smart and strong and that he'll survive and that he'll find me. That Tsume will find me. I hope she's right, and normally hope would wash all my fears and worries away, but not this time. I feel shattered inside, like my heart exploded and it can't put itself back together. Only Tsume could put it back together, but I don't know if I'll ever see him again.


	20. Chapter 20

They were starting to worry. I barely ate anything. I barely spoke. I was in utter shock and grief and guilt. Tsume was gone. We would-I would- never get him back. I might have still made it to Paradise, but without Tsume Paradise seems pointless. Yeah, the pack would be there, but what good would they be if I was grieving over the first person I ever loved, I ever cared for?

Blue tried to comfort me, but her words passed in one ear and out the other. Hige didn't try. He said only time could heal this kind of wound and I thanked him for understanding. I wouldn't let Kiba anywhere near me. Those little strange unnameable feelings I used to get for him seemed even more wrong now. And besides that, those strange stirrings were completely gone now. The only person I welcomed was Toboe, the little runt. My little brother.

At night he'd come to sit by me, and though he was smaller than me he'd wrap his tiny arms around me. He didn't try to get me to talk, he did enough talking for the both of us. About what to do when we got to Paradise, about things the pack did, about his life before the pack. I would just nod and listen, and that was how I got to know my favorite member of this pack. I looked forward to those one way conversations, and before I knew it, a week had passed.

Toboe was in the middle of a story about Cheza when I looked up at him. "Where are we?" I asked, my voice rather weak and growly from being unused.

He looked down at me, surprised, but then smiled. "Outskirts of a town up north. We're getting closer to Paradise every day."

"What do we have to do? To finish getting to Paradise?"

Toboe shrugged his small shoulders. "Well I dunno. Last time there was a lot more trouble to get through."

"Why not this time?"

He shrugged again. "I don't know. Maybe we're supposed to find Paradise this time?"

I was silent again but then a few minutes later I sighed. "Thanks Toboe."

"For what?"

"For this. For talking to me. You don't tell me bull shit about how Tsume's gonna be okay-" I teared up and almost choked. "Or how we'll find him one day. You don't try and get me to talk or do anything. You just sit there and talk to me, and I listen, believe it or not. It's helped so much, but I just don't know how to explain it. Just thanks."

He patted me on the arm, smiling. "Well thanks, Em."

...

My eyes snapped open to see a pink sky, signaling the beginning of a new day. Normally when I wake up I feel just empty and hollow and the whole world comes crashing down on me, tearing my heart to shreds. But not today. I felt aware, alert, on edge. Like something was about to happen. But what?

I sat up and looked around the clearing we were sleeping in, but nothing was there. All the sudden the bushed to my right rustled and I stifled a gasp as I turned to face them. I nudged Toboe awake, putting a finger to my lips to tell him to stay quiet. I heard the bushes rustle again, but this time it was accompanied by yips and growls.

Wolves.

But not just normal wolves. They didn't smell like us. They smelt like chemicals. So unless `they were janitors in the city nearby, they had come from a lab. And a scientist. And they might know where Tsume is. Hope rising up in me, I scrambled to my feet and looked around for them. The bushes rustled more and shadows danced across the trees, but the wolves stayed out of sight.

"Hello?" I called out, the others awake now. "I want to talk to you. I know you come from a lab and a scientist. I want to know about a wolf we lost there. Can you tell me where he is?"

The others looked at me like I was crazy, and I probably was. But I couldn't help it. "Emerald, what the hell are you doing?" Hige hissed, standing up as well.

"I have to know."

"They won't tell you, they probably can't. They're not like us. They would of put on the disguise and talked to us if they were sane."

I frowned, my eyes scanning the woods. I knew Hige was right but I need to know if Tsume's okay, where he is, if I can find him. I took a step forwards. "If you can still talk, please do. I just want to know."

The wolves snarled and growled, clawing at the bushes and trees. What did they want?

"If you want to attack, just do it." I said finally.

So they did.


	21. Chapter 21

Sorry I haven't posted an update in so long :( I've been super busy lately and I had lost my muse for this, but it's back now. All is well xD

...

The wolves sprung from the bushes, lunged at our throats and tried to take us down. The others jumped out of the way, but my reflexes weren't quite up to par from my week of living in a nut shell. I jumped but not fast enough and one of the wolves rammed into my shoulder, knocking me back hard. I let my disguise slip and as the wolf chomped for my throat I turned over, pushing up and sending the wolf flying off me.

I heard another snarl and wheeled around to jump out of the way of another wolf. As the wolf flew threw the air where I had been standing I launched myself at him, opening my jaws and snapping them shut around his neck. Blood splurted into my mouth and it didn't taste good, it didn't taste normal. It tasted acidy, chemically, like someone had been tampering with it and making them these crazy beasts.

I pushed the wolf to the ground and shook my head around, tearing his neck apart as I did so. Satisfied that he would be critically injured-if not dead-I pulled away, and to my surprise the wolf sprung right back up, ready to attack. I heard surprised gasps from the others and I assumed they were witnessing the same thing I was. I dodged an attack from the wolf I had bitten and glanced over at Toboe.

He seemed to be holding his own against an old tawny wolf. Good. I knew he could hold his own against these crazies and I felt much better now knowing that he'd be okay. He could protect himself and that left me able to fight for myself. The next few minutes seemed to drag on for hours. It was all a flash of teeth, fur, claws, and blood.

Slowly, I felt myself returning. I needed to come back, I needed to survive. Every attack I dodged I was one step closer to that, to living another day. Every drop of blood that hit my tongue fueled me, I neede to take out these wolves so I could go to Paradise with the pack. I knew the pack could go without me, but I wanted a reason to come back. No matter how horrible I felt, I didn't want to die too. I wanted to live, and if not for Tsume than for the pack and Cheza and Paradise, to have the chance at being a normal wolf.

Paradise was my new destination and Cheza was behind the wheel, driving us there. But these wolves were in our way, and I- we -needed to get rid of them. All the sudden the wolves we were fighting fled back into the edges of the clearing. We all stopped and looked at each other in confusion, though we knew not to let our guard down. I pinned my ears back and snarled, my lips curling back to reveal my bloody fangs, my claws digging into the earth below them and my muscles tense. What were they doing?

All the sudden the scientist from the ship stepped out of the shadows and into the clearing, a smirk plastered to his wrinkled face. I didn't know anything about this man, realizing I'd left the files we'd stolen somewhere in a past city. I left them in my daze, not even bothering to read them, and now I wish I had. I didn't know what I was dealing with now.

"Well, well, well. We meet again." Various growls errupted from both the packs.

I snarled again and let my human disguise take back over. "What do you want?" I snapped, glaring at him as if my simple hateful gaze could kill him. I wish.

"I want you, all of you, pet." he answered.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, goosebumps running down my spine in a horrible, creepy way. "We're not your pets."

"You will be soon." he said, his voice oddly cheerful. "If you come willingly, I'll be kind."

"And if we don't?"

"I'll find reasons to torture you more. Blood work, mind tests, physical tests. Needles, unsedated surgeries. I'll make you listen and watch your pack be operated on, you'll hear their screams and see them bleed while-"

"I get it!" I shouted, my fists clenching by my sides. It was taking all my willpower not to try and kill this man. I'd never felt the urge to kill someone out of hate before, but I felt it now. "Why do you want us?"

"Not just you wolves, her too." He pointed a boney finger at Cheza, smirking and tilting his head as he studied her. The way he looked at her was creepy. "She won't lead me to Paradise, but she'll lead you wolves there. I want you to go and open it for me."

"So then what do you need to test us for?"

"You must get there. I experiment to make you stronger, faster, better, to make sure nothing can stop you. Without my help, you'll fail."

"We're fine enough on our own, thank you."

"But you're not! I can enhance you, help you!"

"We don't need to be enhanced, Doctor. We don't want to find Paradise for you, we want to find it for ourselves."

The scientist clenched his fists now too. "I'll give you five days to think about it. If you still refuse then, I'll not bother to ask again. I'll just take what I need."

"Our answer will still be no." I snarled at him.

He smoothed back his hair, smirking as if he knew something we didn't, as if he was holding something back that would force us to obey him. "Don't be so sure." he said slyly before walking back into the forest shadows and out of sight, his wolves following.


	22. Chapter 22

Without another word, Dr. Crazy walked off, his wolves going after him without so much as a whimper. Once I was sure they're out a good distance I look towards the pack and Cheza. "How long until we can get to Paradise?" I ask quietly.

"Soon! This One can lead you there." Cheza says, walking up to me and smiling. "This One is glad you are back."

I couldn't help it, but I smiled too. "Yeah, I'm glad too, Cheza." I look back up at the pack and clear my throat before telling them an idea that had weasled it's way into my brain. "We have to travel faster now, and cover our tracks better, to try and leave those wolves behind. We have to travel as long as we can each day, make not so many stops. We have to get away from Dr. Crazy."

"Dr. Crazy?" Hige asks. "Is that what we're calling him?" He smirks, and I can tell he's just being a smart ass.

"Emerald's right. We need to get to Paradise soon, before that man tries to stop us again." Kiba chimes in, stepping up beside me.

I smile a little, feeling hopeful again yet still carrying around the grief. I'll always have that grief of loosing Tsume, but right now I've got to get to Paradise with the pack. I need to help them. I want to be a normal wolf, I want a pack, I want the Flower Maiden and I want Paradise. No matter how grief stricken I am, the calling inside me will always be there, telling me to find Paradise and be with a pack.

I will always crave the scent of the Lunar Flower and the high of the full moon. I will always want the companionship of the pack and the comfort of the Flower Maiden. And I will always, forever, miss Tsume. But now that even a little part of myself is back from that horrified daze, I can't ignore that ancient longing inside me.

"For Paradise." I say, sticking a hand out. The others-one by one-pile their hands ontop of mine.

"For Paradise." they echo.

"And for Tsume." I add, my voice a bit quieter.

Something like determination sparks in their eyes and I know they miss him too, but they know we have to keep going. "For Tsume." they echo again, and after a quick assessment of our injuries we're on the road again.

I glance over at Cheza again, raising an eyebrow. "Which way to Paradise?"

Cheza smiles and starts to walk ahead of us, Kiba trailing after her like a loyal little dog. "Follow This One!"

So we follow, the pack chattering and I'm actually in the conversation. All too soon though another obstacle stands in our way. As we traveled into the afternoon, we headed farther north. It started to snow, and as the sky started to grey a lake came into view. A big lake, that took up our entire horizon. It was frozen, and the snow was starting to fall harder.

"We have to keep going." I told them.

"How? We can't swim through that! It's frozen and it's freezing!" Hige exclaims, and I try not to roll my eyes.

"Relax, Porky. I never said anything about swimming."

"So we're walking?" Toboe asks, looking a bit confused. "Through the snow?"

"Oh that's just great." Hige muttered, throwing his hands up and rolling his eyes.

"Emerald, we triesd that last time. It's best to just wait out the storm." Kiba said, his voice emotionless like always.

I turned around to face him, the hairs on the back of my neck rising and my fists clenching. "No, not with this crazy guy probably tracking us. We have to keep moving. We can loose him in the storm, they won't be able to find us in there."

"We've been walking for hours."

"And he could have sent wolves to follow us. We can loose him in the storm." I repeat. "We need to keep moving. When I say this, I think I speak for everybody, but I would feel a lot safer being farther away from that man."

"So would I." Toboe agreed.

"I think we all would." Blue said with a nod.

"Can you handle it?" Kiba asked them. "Last time you couldn't."

"We know what to expect now, we'll handle it." Toboe said roughly before starting off across the frozen lake, Blue, Hige, and even Cheza following after them.

"Come, Kiba." Cheza said before following again.

I glanced back at Kiba again to find him glaring at me, like I'd done something horribly offensive to him, like I had just made a fool of him. What was his problem? I rolled my eyes and looked forward again, hiking after the pack, walking next to Cheza and Kiba bringing up the rear.

"You're back now." Blue said quietly to me, smiling.

I looked over at her, Hige, and Toboe, smiling a tad. "I guess." I replied with a shrug.

"Well you'll obviously still feel bad about it." Toboe said with a few nods.

"Well yeah." Hige blurted, as if it were obvious. And it was. "But at least she's not all zombie now."

I laugh a little and roll my eyes, smirking. "Thanks guys, love you too." I say sarcastically.

Toboe just grinned and ran up to me, hugging me around my waist. "Love you too!" he shouted back, joking, but I could tell there was something connected there. He looked up at me, something like admiration in his eyes, like a little sibling would admire their older sibling.

I smiled back, my heart warming, and ruffled his hair. "Yeah, love you, Runt."

"Well we're all just one big happy family, aren't we?" Hige snapped sarcastically, watching as Blue ran up to hug me too. He joined in then, chuckling. "Group hug!"

I rolled my eyes and hugged them all back, laughing. "At least we're not a dog pile."


	23. Chapter 23

We started walking across the ice, trying out best to stay on our feet. It was pretty slippery, and the falling snow didn't help any. It was just a light drizzle of snow for now, we could still see everything. But how much longer would this light snow last for? All the sudden, Toboe yelped and jumped back, causing us to freeze.

"What? What's wrong?" I asked him quietly.

"I saw something under the ice." he replied, voice shaky.

We all looked down under our feet, watching silently. I saw something flash out of the corner of my eye then and I tensed up, holding back a gasp. I watched closer under the ice, and soon enough something tapped the ice under my foot. I looked down to see a big, scaly...fish. I put a hand over my mouth, holding back a laugh. "Guys, look. It's just a fish."

They all looked, and as we did more fish started to swim under us, a whole school of them. We all started to laugh then, glad that our visitors were small and harmless.

"Toboe, you had us really scared there. Made us think it was a monster of something." Hige said, shaking his head and smiling.

"It could of been another walrus." I heard Kiba mutter. If the others heard him, they decided to ignore him, so I decided to do the same.

Toboe just blushed and rubbed the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, guys."

I smiled and ruffled up his soft hair. "It's alright, Runt. Come on, we have to keep moving."

For a while more, the weather wasn't too bad. Yeah it was cold, but it was tolerable. The snow fell lightly and coated our hair in white fluff. Cold fluff. But it was nice. After a good time, though, it started to storm. The sky turned black and snow fell in sheets, sleet pricking our exposed skin and the snow soaking us. It was now a blizzard we were walking through. We had to hold hands to keep each other together, and to keep our freezing hands kind of warm.

Every part of me was cold and frozen. My nose, my toes, my fingers, my ears, even places I didn't know I had were freaking cold. We were soaking wet- the snow melted as soon as it touched us-but especially my hair, which whipped around in the howling wind. We were all miserable and cold, and Cheza was starting to turn blue.

"How do you know we're going in the right direction?" Blue asked, shouting over the storm.

"She doesn't!" Kiba answered for me.

I glared over at where I thought he was standing. "Well neither do you! We just have to keep moving!"

"This is just like the plains all over again, Emerald! You're going to get us all killed! It won't just be Tsume this time!"

I gasped, tears springing to my eyes as his words cut me, almost like a knife through hot butter. The pack gasped too, and Toboe told Kiba to just shut up and keep walking. Of course he didn't listen.

"I didn't kill him! How was I supposed to know that man would fly over the plains?!"

"You should have known something would happen! We were exposed and out in the open! And now look what happened! Tsume's gone and it's your fault. Now you're leading us through this storm. Who else are you going to kill, Em?!"

I wiped away tears as they fell from my eyes, not wanting them to freeze on my face. His words hurt so bad, but they also made me angry. No, this was beyond angry. This was beyond pissed. I was furious. How dare he!

"No! I'm gonna kill you!" I snarled before lunging at him, tackling down onto the ice. I heard it crack.

I went to punch him but he moved his head and my knuckles painfully collided with the ice. He grabbed my neck and threw me off of him. I felt myself flying through the air and then the ice collided with my back, cracking again. I gasped for air, the cold oxygen burning my throat and lungs as I did so.

"You're dangerous!" he shouted, pouncing on me. "You're a Darcia!"

A who? I didn't think to stop and ask though. I raised my legs and kicked him in the stomach, sending him off of me. The ice cracked again. "You're just jealous that they're following me and not you! After all, you were the leader last time, right?" I shouted as we stood up and faced each other.

We snarled and charged, myself ducking under his arms as he tried to grab me. I wheeled around then and jumped on his back, latching my arms around his neck and feeling him fall forward. We fell onto the ice, heard it crack, and then we flipped over, cold water surrounding us and something above us splashing. I wanted to gasp at the freezing cold, but if I did I would choke. I spit water out of my mouth and kicked my way to the surface of the water. Except it wasn't the surface of the water that was meeting me. My head collided with something hard and cold. Ice.

I opened my eyes and looked through the water, only to find that the broken patch of ice didn't have a hole in it. It had just flipped over, trapping me and Kiba in the water. I started to punch at the ice, desperate to get out. I still had enough air, but for how much longer?

I could see the pack standing above me, trying to help me break the ice. I started to panic now, my body was freezing and I could barely move it, and my lungs were starting to burn. I needed air soon. And where was Kiba? That's when I felt a hand grab me. I saw the pack's eyes go wide and they started hitting the ice harder, shouting something that we couldn't hear.

Kiba wrapped one hand around my neck, the other punched my gut. I couldn't help it; my mouth flew open and bubbles floated out of it. My air was gone. My eyes were wide now too. I kicked and clawed at Kiba, but he just held me and choked me. My lungs were burning, screaming for air, but when I opened my mouth the only thing I inhaled was water. I started coughing, the water I had swallowed spitting up, but then when I inhaled again I was choking.

My whole body was pumping with adrenaline, begging me to free it from this watery hell. I clawed at Kiba more, but he wouldn't let go. I was still choking, but I could feel my head start to feel like fluff. My heart beat was slowing, and my body was lacking the energy to fight Kiba anymore. Between him and the choking, I was dead. I looked up to the pack one last time, reaching a hand out to them. They were watching, wide eyed and horrified, and that's when my world went black.


	24. Chapter 24

The pack watched, wide eyed and horrified as Kiba ripped Emerald away from the ice underneath them and started to choke her. She kicked and clawed at him but he had an iron grip. They started to pound harder on the thick ice, trying to break it and get them out, trying to save Emerald.

All the sudden a rush of bubbles collided with the bottom of the ice clearing to reveal Emerald choking. She looked scared, panicking. She didn't have much time. Toboe pounded on the ice with all his might.

"Emerald, no! Kiba, stop it!" But of course, they couldn't hear him.

All the sudden Emerald stopped struggling against Kiba and reached a hand out to them. _'Help me.'_ she seemed to be begging them. Her eyes locked with Toboe's, and within the next second he watched as the life faded from them. All they could do was watch as her body went limp, eyes wide open. Kiba finally let her go, bruises on her neck where he had been holding. He kicked her away then and her limp body sank down into the black depths of the freezing water, never to be seen again.

Kiba kicked up towards the ice, punching and kicking where the pack had been, finishing their work and making a hole in the ice. He grabbed the sharp edges and hauled himself up, coughing and sputtering on his hands and knees, his body shaking violently.

"You killed her!" Toboe shouted, his voice deeper and angrier than they'd ever heard it. He flung himself at Kiba and started punching and kicking him, shouting curses at him the whole time. Kiba just sat there and took it, but soon enough Blue and Hige grabbed the little guy and dragged him a few feet back.

"What the hell are you thinking?!" Hige asked, snarling and holding onto a struggling Toboe.

"I'm thinking about our safety!" Kiba growled after he stopped coughing, his arms wrapped around himself as he huddled against the wind and snow.

"She wasn't a threat!" Blue exclaimed, tears in her eyes. "She was just starting to come back and then you go and kill her!"

"I'm not the bad guy here! She is! She was a danger to all of us." He gave a violent shudder and his teeth started to chatter. "She smelled like Darcia! Don't tell me that none of you smelled it?"

The pack paused eying Kiba skeptically. "Darcia?" Toboe asked quietly, sniffling and using his shoulder to wipe up his tears.

"Yes, Darcia! She smelled like Darcia! She was one of them! Her eyes, have you ever seen eyes as deep a green as hers? Have you ever seen eyes like hers that glow? No! Darcias are known for their strange eyes, you know that!"

"That doesn't prove she was a Darcia!" Hige growled.

"Alright, fine. All Darcias have a curse. Em had one too. Everybody she's around get's hurt or harmed, one way or another. Her parents, dead. Her foster parents, found out their baby girl was a monster. Tsume, lost and probably dead." He turned his angry gaze to Toboe. "She was starting to get close to you, you were next! I just saved your skin!"

Toboe looked at the hole in the ice as if he could look through it and see Emerald. The entire pack was silent for a while, thinking this over, a few tears streaming down their cheeks.

"Whatever, you don't believe me. Fine." Kiba snarled, standing up and grabbing Cheza's hand. "I'm going to find a place to get out of this storm. You can come, or you can go." And with that he lead Cheza off, who was walking stiffly and awkwardly. Both of them could barely walk anymore. All the sudden he stopped, looking over his shoulder at them. "If it makes any difference...I didn't want to kill her. I didn't enjoy it. She was important to me too." His voice was rough and angry, yet there was something sincere in it. Something sad was laced in his wet, freezing expression.

He started to walk off again, and hesitantly the pack followed. "I don't want to go with him." Toboe whispered.

"I don't either, but what if he's right?" Blue whispered back, blinking back tears.

"And besides, he has Cheza. We can't just leave and expect to get to Paradise without her."

Toboe squeezed his eyes shut, trying to push away the memory of Em's last expression. Her mouth open wide in a silent scream, her eyes wide and scared and panicking, her hair floating around her. She had been beautiful, but she had been dying. And now she was dead, leaving them alone with Kiba who may or may not be lying. "No, I guess not." he whispered, fighting back tears.


	25. Chapter 25

I opened my eyes and jolted upright, gasping and feeling strong arms tighten around me. They pulled me back gently, pressing me against a strong, warm body. "Shh, Em. It's okay. I'm right here." a familiar voice whispered in my ear.

I froze, tears springing to my eyes. It couldn't be, yet I could feel him right there next to me, cradling me in his arms. I looked up to see a face I thought I'd never see again. "Tsume." I whimpered, leaning into him and starting to cry.

He rubbed my back, rocking gently. "Em, it's okay, I'm right here. I'm here now."

I looked up at him, sniffling and blinking away tears only to have more replace them. "But how? How are you here?" All the sudden my eyes went wide and I started crying harder. "I'm dead, aren't I?"

Tsume shook his head, gesturing to our surroundings. "Look around, Em. Does this look like Heaven or Hell to you?"

I did as he said. I wiped my eyes and looked around. My vision was greeted by a small cave, a fire dancing in front of us and my wet, sopping clothes drying off next to it. I was wrapped in a rough blanket, and the storm still raged on outside. I was sitting on Tsume's lap, his arms wrapped around me, protecting and comforting.

"I'm not dead?"

He looked down at me as I looked into the fire, brushing a wet curl away from my face. "Not anymore."

I looked up at him, up into his worried and caring amber eyes, those beautiful amber eyes that I thought I'd lost forever. Tears sprung to my eyes again but I kept them back. "What do you mean?"

"I escaped from that man a few days ago and I'd been following after you and the pack, trying to catch up. When I got to the lake I found a patch of broken ice. The pack had left that spot, but your scent didn't follow." He paused for a second, looking like he was struggling with some inner emotion that he didn't let show on his face. "I jumped in and found you at the bottom. You were cold, but not dead cold. Just cold, from the water. So I brought you up to the surface and got you breathing again. I used that CRP or whatever the humans call it. I guess you hadn't been gone long because you came back. So I brought you here and now you've woken up."

His slightly cold hand went up to my neck, which hurt at his touch. I had bruises there, but he was gently rubbing them. It actually felt better. "What happened? Why is your neck bruised?"

I sighed and leaned my head on his chest, hearing his heart beat underneath. He was really here. I smiled a little, cuddling into him. "Kiba got mad at me, for taking us across the plains and the lake. He thought I was going to kill them all. We started to fight, and the ice cracked. The piece we were standing on flipped over, trapping us in the water. He choked me."

He froze then, his soft, worried expression hardening into something shocked and full of rage. "Kiba did this to you?" His voice was quiet, but only because he was holding back his fury.

I just nodded. Something sparked in his eyes then, something dark and pissed and blood thirsty. He was thirsty for blood, alright. Kiba's blood. I hadn't seen this look on his face before, and it honestly scared me. He looked like he was going to rip Kiba's head off.

"He killed you?" he snarled through gritted teeth, his fists clenching. "That f*cking bastard! Who the hell does he think he is? What on earth made-"

I put a hand to his cheek, frowning. "Please don't. Not now. If he hadn't you wouldn't of found me."

"Yeah, but maybe later on I would of found you actually alive."

"I'm alive now. Isn't that enough?"

He sighed and relaxed, shaking his head. "I'll get him for this, but I'll drop it for now." I smiled a little and nodded, thanking him. He tightened his arms around me and leaned down. "It's been too long."

And then he kissed me. I felt tears spill out of my closed eyes. It had been too long, too horrible, not knowing if he was alive or dead. But he was here now, with me. He was back, he was safe, and he was with me. His warm mouth moved gently against mine, his body familiar as he pulled me closer. His arms tightened again, holding me so close I couldn't even expand my rib cage all the way.

"Don't ever let go." I whispered when we pulled away for air.

"I won't." he whispered back, his lips brushing against mind and then locking together.

He traveled his hands up my back, twining them in my hair. My arms were wrapped around his neck, his grey pony tail wrapped around one of my fingers. His kiss tasted like relief and care and love and desire. This is what we both wanted. Each other, right here, right now. just us and nothing else. I slid one of my hands to his cheek, only to find it wet with tears. I started to cry then too. Tsume was crying and it touched me in a way that nothing else could. It was then, right there, when I realized that I love him.


	26. Chapter 26

Toboe's eyes flittered open, met the shelter of a clump of trees. The temperature had rose since last night, the snow had stopped falling, and Kiba had dried out. The sun was peeking over the tops of the trees, some of the snow starting to melt in the early light's rays. The youngest member of the pack sat up, stretching his frozen muscles, and looked around. The rest of the pack was still asleep, except now one more important figure was missing. Emerald.

A frown took over the runt's face and he rubbed his eyes, trying not to cry. First Tsume, then Emerald, and now he wasn't sure if he could trust Kiba. It was like _he _was cursed! But what if Kiba was right? What if...? With a sigh, Toboe laid back down and curled up into a ball, soaking up the warmth he had given the ground during his sleep. He just wanted to curl up and sleep again. He was tired. No, more like exhausted. He hadn't gotten a good night's rest since they started back to Paradise. And with all the traveling, he was worn out. Soon enough, little Toboe was almost back asleep. That's when he heard two howls drift through the trees, as faint as a whisper.

...

I woke up to feel a warm body next to mine, chest rising and falling with the gentle sound of breathing. Last night's events replayed in my mind, but I soon ignored the ones from before my reunion with Tsume. I rolled over, my back exposed now to the cold instead of Tsume's warm body, and cuddled up to him, resting my head on his chest. He wrapped his arms tighter around me and I finally opened my eyes in surprise. I hadn't known he'd be awake. His face, only inches from mine, was lit by a smile, his eyes intently peering down into mine.

"Good morning." he said, his voice tired and deep and quiet as he brushed some hair away from my face and neck.

"Good morning." I replied, cuddling even closer to him.

"Sleep nice?" he asked.

I nodded, smiling. "Yeah. A lot better than normal."

He chuckled. "You're welcome." he said teasingly, and despite myself I giggled a little.

We just laid there for a while, silent and comforting, as if drawing strength from each other so we could face the day. Maybe we were. "So what are we going to do today?" I asked finally.

I felt him shrug. "I was thinking we could go back down south. It's warmer."

I furrowed my eyebrows, a little confused. "But what about finding the pack? They're heading north still."

He sighed and removed one of his hands from around my blanket covered body, cupping my cheek with it. "We can't go back with them, Em." His voice was soft and comforting but he didn't do a good job hiding the distrust and anger laced within it.

"Why not?" I asked frowning, starting to get worried. "They'll want to know we're alive. And what about Paradise? Don't you want to go?"

"Obviously, they didn't come looking for you. If they did, they would care if you were alive or not."

"They watched Kiba kill me! They think I'm dead! And they think you are too!" He seemed to have forgotten that part, and now he hesitated, looking for something to say."Don't they mean anything to you? Don't you want them to know you're alive?"

He sighed again, his expression softening. "I do, Em. They're my friends. But we can't just go back. Not with Kiba there. Who knows what lies Kiba has told them by now?"

I bit my lip, my eyes starting to water. I wanted to find them so bad, I didn't want to leave them. "But... I can talk to Kiba, explain. I'll make him explain. We'll talk things out...I can't just leave them Tsume. They're my friends too and I want to go to Paradise. I don't want to go back to living like a human. I want to be with wolves, live like one, be with Cheza. Tsume, I really want to go..."

He was silent for a moment, looking at me with something sad and pitying in his eyes. "Fine, but if things don't work out with them promise me you'll let it go." I hesitated. "Em, before I threw you off the ladder, I meant what I said. Yeah, Paradise and the pack would be nice, but as long as I'm with you anywhere could be Paradise. I don't need them to survive. Just you."

My eyes watered up more but not because of the thought of loosing the pack, but because of the words coming from Tsume. I smiled, so touched by his words in a way I thought I never would be. "Okay, I promise." I said quietly.

"Good. Now, get dressed while I go and try to see what direction the pack went."

I nodded and he kissed me on the forehead before getting up and walking out of the cave into the early morning sunlight. My heart skipped a beat as I watched him walk out of sight, afraid that he wouldn't come back again. I didn't want him to leave. But he would come back this time. He wasn't going anywhere.

Lethargically, I got up and unwrapped myself from the blanket I had been swaddled in. My clothes-previously sodden from my time of being drowned in ice water- were now dry and ready to be put on. So I put them on and walked out of the cave, letting my human disguise fall away then. I felt the frigid wind blow through my thick white fur, felt it bite at my skin and nose, but not as bad as when I was human. I felt the slick ice under my paws and I ground my claws into the ice, watching five grooves being cut into it's clear surface.

I smiled, my pink tongue rolling out of my mouth and my breath fogging the air. I wanted to laugh, but instead it came out as a sort of bark. I was a wolf. Always have been, even if I had tried to hide it, and always would be, even if I didn't like it. I was wolf, and I was determined to get my pack back, determined to keep Tsume safe, and determined to get to Paradise. I was a wolf on a mission and this time nothing would get in my way, even a crazy scientist who was probably tracking us right this very moment. Nothing could stop me.

I tilted my head back and took in a deep breath, letting it out in a howl, one that challenged everything and everyone. Moments after I finished, Tsume's howl rang out across the sky and I smiled again, looking over to see him in the distance, head back, grey fur blowing in the wind, and his deep howl ringing over the land. He put his head down to meet me, amber eyes twinkling, and then we bounded off across the ice, towards the pack, towards Paradise, together again.


	27. Chapter 27

Toboe rubbed at his eyes again and sat up, ears perked, listening to the forest and every noise that ran through it. And again, there it was, the howls. They sounded again, familiar, determined, and _alive._ Toboe grinned and scrambled to his feet, shaking out his fur as he went full out wolf. He snapped his head back and howled, loud and excited.

_'We're here! We're home! Come home!'_

Hige groaned and rolled over, looking up at the excited runt with squinted eyes. "What the hell are you doing, kid? Who's out there?"

"Toboe, go back to sleep." Blue muttered, curling up next to Hige.

"Guys, no! Stay awake! They're back! They're coming here! They're-"

Kiba sat bolt upright, his eyes wide and his hair a shaggy mess. "They're coming? How is that possible?"

"I have no idea!" Toboe barked, wagging his tail and jumping around.

"Why are you excited?" Kiba snarled, getting up and gently helping up Cheza, despite his anger. "Those wolves being close isn't a good thing! If they're here then that man will be here soon too."

Toboe frowned then, shaking his head. "No, I'm not talking about the scientist!"

This time Blue sat up, eyes wide. "Is it Quent?"

Toboe sighed, shaking his head again.

"Then who is it?" Kiba snapped.

In the brief silence between their words, two more howls rung out over the land, harmonious and thrilled. _'We're coming!'_

"Them." Cheza said, smiling happily. "They are alive."

Kiba's eyes were wide, his expression unreadable. For a moment, Blue and Hige wore the same expression, but then they embraced each other, grinning and laughing. "They're alive!"

"That must have been why she didn't freak out last night." Kiba muttered, looking down at Cheza and running a hand through his hair.

"Kiba, what are you going to do?" Hige asked, looking over at the other wolf from over Blue's head.'

"Please don't kill Emerald again." Toboe whispered, his voice pleading with all he had. Everybody suddenly went quiet, the tension thick in the air and everybody serious again.

"But she's a Darcia." he whispered back.

"She hasn't tried to kill us, though." Blue said, brushing some hair away from her face.

"She's cursed." he spat angrily, fur bristling.

"She's our friend." Toboe growled back, holding back a threatening snarl. He may be angry, but he still knew that he shouldn't push his luck against Kiba.

Kiba sighed and glanced between each one of them before finally glancing down at Cheza. "Fine. I won't attack her again. But if anything happens to any of you, or to Cheza, I will kill her."


	28. Chapter 28

We ran as fast as our legs could carry us, ignoring the bitter cold and the ice under our paws. We were too caught up in the moment; heart pounding, adrenaline pumping, wind whooshing through our fur and our spirits alive with the feeling of hope. I can't ever remember being happier. We, not just myself, but _we,_ were going back home to the pack. We were going back to our friends, our family, to Cheza, and to Paradise. And better yet, Tsume would be there again.

Finally, we ran off the icy top of the lake and into a thin evergreen forest. I don't know how I knew where to go, but I just did. It was like there was a mini tracking device inside my head, telling me where to find the pack. I could feel it in the very marrow of my bones. _'Almost there!'_ a voice inside me screamed. _'Just keep going! Just a little farther! Almost there!' _And I believed it.

All the sudden there were shapes in the distance, wolf shapes, and I grinned wide. Tsume's canine grin grew as well and he barked, hoping to catch their attention. He did. Soon enough the wolves were bounding to us, barking and their tongues lolling out of their mouth as a wolfish grin spread over their maws.

Before long, we were together again. We were just a mass of barks and yelps and licks and wagging tails. You could just feel the excitement in the air, you could practically taste it. As we let our human disguises take over again, Blue and I had tears of joy in our eyes, as did little Toboe. We embraced each other, and when we pulled apart I was hug-attacked by Toboe. I smiled and wrapped my arms around him, stroking his silky hair.

"You're back." he said, looking up at Tsume and I.

"Did you ever doubt us?" Tsume teased, ruffling his hair, and Toboe ran over to hug him. At first Tsume looked a little surprised, but then he smiled too and hugged the runt back.

Cheza was in front of me then, smiling and putting a hand to my cheek. I could feel my whole body just relax and I suddenly felt a whole lot more tired. "This One is glad you are back." She flickered her red eyes to Tsume. "And you, too. The pack would seem small without you too. This One is glad you are back."

I smiled at Cheza and nodded. "We're glad we're back too."

"How are you alive?" a voice asked, cutting through the excitement and joy. Kiba.

I turned away from Cheza and faced Kiba. Tsume let go of Toboe and curled his lips back to snarl, taking a step forward, but I reached a hand out to touch his arm. He looked down at me, fury etched into his finely chiseled features. I just gave him a look that said _'Don't.'_

"And how are you back?" Kiba asked Tsume, his voice not as harsh as it had been with me.

"I'd escaped, obviously, and no thanks to you. You didn't do a very good job of covering your tracks, so it was easy to follow you guys. I followed you onto the lake and when I reached the broken ice, I knew Emerald didn't come out."

"So you jumped in to save her?" His voice was cold and emotionless, but his words were questioning.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I did." Tsume snapped. "And I brought her back."

Kiba's face paled a little though his expression was still blank, just like always. "I felt her heart stop."

"Luckily for her, she wasn't too far gone. But of course, this is all too unfortunate for you."

I stepped forward then and Tsume tensed up, ready to spring if Kiba tried to attack again. "Why did you save me when I got shot if you were only going to kill me later?" I asked, as the question had been lingering in my mind.

"Because at the time I didn't know you were a Darcia."

I furrowed my brows at him, but the rest of the pack seemed to know what he was talking about. "What...what's a Darcia?"

"All you need to know is that they're a noble family and evil runs in their blood. They were cursed by the old magic of Paradise a few hundred years ago, and now every one of them carries a different curse. We thought there was only one left, Lord Darcia himself. But then you came along."

"What would make you think I'm related to this family? I don't even know who my parents are." I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

"For starters, you smell like a Darcia. Second, you're cursed. Your curse is that everybody around you, in one way or another, is hurt, no matter what you do. Your parents-dead. Your adoptive parents-found out their daughter was a monster. Imagine how crushing that would have been to them. Tsume was captured and has gone through who knows what, and the rest of us have been put in danger multiple times because of your decisions and you just being here. You're a threat to all of us."

I frowned, trying to keep the hurt out of my voice and expression. How was I to know he was wrong? But how was I to know he was right? "What proof do you have?" I asked, crossing my arms and looking down my nose at him, suddenly feeling a lot more confident. He had no way to prove it.

"Your smell. You smell like Darcia. And your eyes. Darcia's have eyes that seem to glow, not unlike yours. Oh, and we can't forget the people in your life that have been hurt." He narrowed his eyes at me and held out a hand, Cheza walking out from behind me to take it. "But I won't try to kill you. Not yet. We're too close to Paradise." He turned and faced north. "There's a mountain at the edge of this forest, and on the top of it should be the entrance to Paradise." He glanced over his shoulder at us, his blue grey eyes locking on me for the longest. "We could stay here for another night and hope it's clear. The moon will be full tonight so the path could lead us straight there."

"I think we should stay." Hige said with a nod after nobody else volunteered their opinion. The rest of us just nodded in agreement.

"It's settled then. We wait." Kiba said, looking off towards the edge of the forest again.

Well this was just great, wasn't it? Now we get to sit around for a few hours and try not to kill each other. Today should be interesting.


	29. Chapter 29

We sat around the little clearing for a few hours, just talking and catching up. Toboe asked Tsume how long he'd been in the scientist's clutches and what had been done to him. Tsume got this dark look in his eyes, one of anger and pain, and just told Toboe that he didn't remember.

"A week or so." he said nonchalantly with a shrug.

Toboe was niave enough to believe Tsume, but the rest of us weren't. With a frown, I took Tsume's hand and leaned my head on his shoulder, silently comforting him. I could feel him shudder slightly as he pulled my closer, though from the bitter wind or the haunting memories I couldn't tell. I told myself it was the breeze, but I deep down I knew that wasn't it. I too wanted to ask Tsume what had happened to him, but not here, not now. Not in front of the pack.

Mid afternoon rolled around, as did our hunger, so we got up and started to scour the forest for food. Soon enough, we found a few rabbit holes and had ourselves some Easter Bunny for a snack. They were pretty tasty, but not as sweet as candy.

We walked-waddled, actually-back to the clearing and sat around as we waited for our stomachs to deflate. We were begging for night to darken the land. Kiba was no where to be seen all day, except for when we ate. Cheza sat with us, not really talking. She just sat with us and stroked our fur as we talked. And then, almost out of nowhere, the sun started to bright afternoon light turned a soft orange, the shadows started to stretch, and the sky turned a pink and purple. Before long, the last of the sun's rays dipped behind the horizon and the dark of night enclosed us.

The full moon made it's way across the sky, our energy perking up like a giant high as the rest of the land calmed down. Kiba reappeared, and with the pack back together the energy was electric. We all stood in a circle, our eyes shining, ears filled with Cheza's beautiful voice. She paused for a moment, and as she spread her arms out our harmonizing howls filled the silence. We howled until our throats were raw and the moon was at it's peak in the sky.

That's when the ground started to glow. After a bright white flash, a path of lunar flowers was blazed ahead of us, their white flower perfection dazzling our eyes, their addicting smell intoxicating our lungs. We looked at each other and grinned before charging ahead, the lunar flowers like velvet under our paws.

Paradise was so close, and every step we took brought us closer. Paradise was real, we were going to make it there, we were going to live the rest of our lives in total bliss. We were going to open Paradise! We ran as fast as we could, our energy growing instead of fading away. We exited the forest soon and were at the base of the mountain, the top of it shining and beckoning us to come. We were moths and it was our flame.

With wolfish grins plastered to our faces, we bounded up the mountain, Cheza right behind us. We were there, almost there! And then all the sudden shadows jumped out from behind the rocks up ahead, shadows shaped like wolves. I skidded to a stop, dust and dirt pooling around my feet, as did the rest of the pack. A man stepped out as well, coming to stand in the middle of the line of wolves that blacked our path.

"I would love to thank you, all of you." The voice sent chills down my spine, made my fur stand on end. The man stepped into the silver moonlight and my eyes went wide. It was the scientist, it was Dr. Crazy.

Instant mood killer.


	30. Chapter 30

"What do you want?" Kiba snarled, stepping to the front.

Dr. Crazy laughed and stepped closer again. "You know what I want." he said, gesturing behind him to the top of the mountain with a bony old hand. "I want you to open Paradise for me."

"And if we refuse?" Tsume asked, holding back a growl, but just barely.

"Then I'll make you agree. You see, I'll have my wolves kill you off one by one until you agree to open Paradise for me." The man's beady black eyes scanned over us. "Who shall I start with? How about..." His eyes locked on Hige. "You."

Hige's eyes went wide and the brainwashed wolves charged us. We tried to lunge for them and block their path but they simply ran around us, acting as if we were just rocks. They surrounded Hige and one bit his neck, forcing him onto his back and pinning him. The rest of the wolves had turned to face us, forming a protective circle around Hige and the wolf holding him.

"Open Paradise or the chubby one dies."

"I'm not chubby!" Hige whined, his voice cutting off as the wolf bit down harder on his neck.

"You can't kill him!" Blue shouted, the fear and concern clear in her voice.

"Who's going to stop me?" Dr. Crazy taunted.

Blue looked to us, her eyes pleading. "Please, we can't let Hige die." she whispered.

"We need a plan." I agreed with a nod.

"Tick tock!" Dr. Crazy called. "You've got ten seconds."

"We can't open Paradise for him." Kiba hissed.

"We just can't let him die!" I hissed back. "He's part of our pack."

"We need a plan, then." Kiba snapped, obviously frustrated with the whole thing. His eyes flitted to Hige, concern written on his face.

"Five..."

"Hurry!" Blue whispered.

"Four..."

"Blue?" Hige called, looking at her with a sad look in his eyes. "I love you."

"Three..."

"I love you too." she called back, not bothering to hide the tears welling in her eyes.

"Two..."

"I love you so much." he whispered.

"One."

The wolf holding Hige bit down, ending our friend's life with a sickening crunch, one that made Blue cringe.

"Pick out another one, pets." Dr. Crazy called to his wolves, and they charged us again, spreading us out and catching two this time.

I turned when I heard the screams to see Blue and Toboe in their grasps now. I ran to them, only to have my path blocked. "Toboe! Blue!" I cried, locking eyes with them. I took a deep breath then and gave them a reassuring look before facing Kiba and Tsume. "We're not letting them die too." I snarled. "We can do this."

"What are you talking about?" Tsume whispered. "Do what?"

"Just trust me." I whispered back. "I have a plan. You have to take Cheza to the top of the mountain and open Paradise."

"No, that's out of the question." he said, an untrusting look forming in his eyes.

I looked him in the eye and didn't break the gaze. "Please, trust me. We can to this."

"I won't do it!"

"Tick tock! Five..."

"We'll open Paradise!" I shouted desperately and Kiba glared at me. He bared his teeth at me before quickly leading Cheza up the rest of the mountain.

"Emerald, no!" Toboe called. "Don't do this!"

"Wise choice, Emerald. I'm afraid you'll regret it one day." Dr. Crazy said to me, laughing like a maniac, but I wasn't paying attention.

Kiba and Cheza had gotten to the top of the mountain already, and without hesitation they jumped down, hands locked together. I tried not to look surprised. Tsume didn't look surprised at all.

"Let them go." he demanded calmly, his anger blistering under the surface.

"Not until I set foot in Paradise." Dr. Crazy turned on his heel to walk to Paradise.

I followed after, as did the rest of the wolves. I was right behind the guy now, and glanced back at the pack. "Brace yourselves." I whispered before lunging at Dr. Crazy with the fiercest snarl to ever escape my lips.

My paws reached his back and not two seconds later my jaws were around his neck. I clamped them down hard, feeling my fangs pierce the delicate skin and warm blood squirt on me, washing over my tongue. I tilted my head a little and jerked up, tearing open his neck as he hit the ground face first, lifeless. His wolves stood there, shocked, not knowing what to do. And then the one holding Blue snapped her neck as well, the sickening sound echoing through the silence. She didn't even have time to scream.

Toboe squirmed away from the wolf holding him and ran to Tsume and I. "Come on!" I shouted, and we took off running, the wolves chasing after but not as fast as before. With a glance over my shoulder, I realized only about a fourth of them were following. The rest of them didn't know what to do.

"You two go ahead. I'll hold them off." Tsume told us before skidding to a stop and facing the few wolves that were coming. He spread his feet and bared his fangs, preparing for a to-the-death fight.

"No! I'm not loosing you again!" I shouted to him, stopping as well.

"Emerald, I'll find you in Paradise. I promise, I won't forget you!" He glanced to Toboe then. "Keep her safe, Runt."

Toboe pushed me away but I pushed back, not wanting to leave. "I'm helping you fight!"

"Paradise won't be any good to anybody if we're dead, Em! Leave!"

I sighed in frustration before nodding and running with Toboe up the mountain. We got there quickly and I looked down into the darkness. "Go on, Toboe. Kiba will be there, and so will Cheza."

"What to do you mean?" he asked. "You're acting like you're not coming with me."

"I have to help Tsume, but with the two of us, those wolves will be no problem, okay? We'll both come back again."

He frowned and we did one of those awkward wolf hugs, nuzzling each other's necks. "We'll be waiting." And then he jumped down into the darkness. Once he was consumed by it, I charged back down, snarling, and ready to help Tsume. I wasn't leaving him again.


	31. Chapter 31

***Note: Okay guys this is the last chapter for the entire fic! Hope you like it and thank you so much for reading it! Without you this wouldn't have been possible. :) ****

The wolves reached Tsume before I could, surrounding him from every side. They claws at him and tried to get his throat, but Tsume was able to fend the five of them off, if only just barely. He was amazing fighter, and just watching him momentarily distracted me. I quickly regained my mind though and charged in. They didn't even see me coming.

I launched myself into the air and landed on two of the wolves, snarling and biting one's ear. I yanked, their head following and neck exposed to Tsume as I clawed at the other wolf with my back paws. Tsume took the chance and quickly bit down on the wolf's neck, and it's dead body crumpled under me. I hit the ground hard, starting to push myself up. One down, four to go.

The wolf who my lower half had fallen on squirmed out from under me, wheeling around and snapping his jaws closed on my left back leg. He started to drag me away as I clawed at him but another wolf stood over me, biting for my throat. I put my paws up and pushed his face away, simultaneously kicking at the other wolf. My back claws caught at his eye and he pulled away, bleeding heavily out of his right eye. I rolled once to my right and stood up, facing the two wolves but not able to put any weight on my back leg.

One of the wolves charged and I leapt forward towards the other to get out of the way of blood thirsty jaws. I didn't really have a plan though so the wolf I'd charged took this chance to get at me. He twisted his head around and sunk his teeth into my shoulder, muscle tearing away from bone. I yelped and tried not to move my front too much, knowing it would only make things worse. I yelped again as he tried to shake his head around.

I could feel my legs getting weak, knowing he could finish me off any second. I thrashed my head around, jaws snapping like a pair of dangerous scissors looking for their target. And they did. I got the wolf on the side of the head, ear including. Somehow, ears kept getting in my mouth. Gross. Anyways, I yanked up, trying to pull his head away, but instead pulling his ear right off his head. Blood squirted everywhere and the wolf stumbled back without me, yowling in pain.

My sudden release made me fall and I hit the ground, not wanting to get up. A wolf charged me, only to be blocked and taken down by Tsume. The wolf who's ear I had bitten off was in no shape to defend himself, so Tsume easily finished him off. The last wolf, seeing his companions gone, was little match against Tsume's raw power and fury. He stood there for a moment, blood dripping off his jaw, watching the bodies, as if to make sure they were dead. Finally, he ran over to me, and by now my vision was starting to be covered in black dots.

"I told you to stay with Toboe!" he snarled angrily before frowning and licking my cheek. "Em, come on. We've got to get to the others."

I looked him over real quick, assessing his injuries. He had a few claw marks all over his body and a small bite wound on his side. "Tsume..." I said at last, looking back into his eyes. "I don't know if I can get up." Every breath required so much energy to take.

"Of course you can get up. You have to get up." he said, nuzzling my neck. "Come on, get up." His voice was almost pleading.

I nodded and sat up slowly, wincing as pain exploded through my body, snapping me out of my haze. I became aware of the massive amount of blood that was gushing out of my shoulder, warm and matting down my fur. I tried to push myself up, crying out in pain and collapsing back on my side. Between my shoulder and back leg wound, my entire left side was useless.

Tsume saw this and frowned, dipping his head to put it under my left front leg. "Alright, on three stand up." he told me.

I nodded, and on three I pushed my right side up, standing with Tsume's help. We slowly walked up the mountain and towards the pit. Tsume jumped first and then I half jumped half fell down after him, being caught in his strong arms. When we got there, Toboe was watching Kiba talk to Cheza. He was curled up in her arms, tears in his eyes and more emotional than I'd ever seen him.

"Cheza, please don't leave again." he pleaded.

"You will see This One again in Paradise. Do not cry, This One will see you again."

"But Cheza-"

"Shh, loved one. It is time." Cheza closed her eyes and then burst into a million round brown Lunar Flower seeds, rolling right through Kiba's fingers.

He broke down then, shoulders hunched and shaking as he cried. So Kiba really did have a heart. He really could feel and care for people. Seeing him broken like this made me feel sorry for him. He'd lost Cheza, just like I'd lost Tsume. I glanced over at Tsume and caught his eye, nodding towards Kiba. He understood and helped me walk over, setting me down gently before backing up, keeping a wary eye on Kiba.

I put my human disguise on and sat there, silent for a moment. "I'm sorry, Kiba." I said quietly. "But don't worry, we'll find her again."

"How could you know?" he snapped, making Tsume tense up a little.

I didn't even flinch. "I can feel it. Just like I could feel something calling me to Paradise." I paused, lifting a hand to my shoulder, feeling sticky blood coat my fingers. "Whatever you think I did to you or the pack or Cheza, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt anyone. I just wanted somewhere to belong finally, a pack. And I'm sorry about Cheza."

He looked up at me warily with puffy eyes. He didn't speak for a long time. The minutes ticked by like hours. "I shouldn't have tried to kill you." he whispered. "It's just...Darcias are dangerous and I didn't want to risk it. I hope...I hope you can forgive me. For everything. For trying to kill you, for seeming so closed off when everybody else knew who I really was."

I smiled weakly. "It's okay."

"Do you really think we'll see Cheza again?"

I nodded. "I know so."

All the sudden the seeds sprang up into beautiful white flowers, the ice underneath us turning to water. I sank down, not able to swim to the surface, but I didn't want to. And I guess neither did anybody else. So this was it? We were just going to sink into warm clear water and drown? We had failed. The news crushed down on my, making what little air I had in my lungs rush out in a torrent of bubbles. And then all the sudden there was nothing.

I was sitting on a chair outside a cafe in a very clean, happy Freeze city. My wounds were gone and everything seemed...perfect. Tsume was seated at my left, his hand holding mine, and Toboe was seated to my right. We were all looking around with wide eyes. My eyes spotted something then and I grinned. Hige and Blue were across the street at a hot dog stand, laughing about something. The scent of lunar flowers hung in the air I knew exactly where to find Cheza.

"So this is Paradise?" Tsume asked, looking around with an annoyed expression, but his tone was awed and excited.

"Paradise isn't a perfect little island." Toboe said quietly as if he had expected some place warm and sandy with lots of salty water.

"No, it's a perfect world." Kiba replied just as softly. We all looked at each other, everything perfect in the world, and just laughed at the sheer amazingness of it all. We had made it to Paradise.


End file.
